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Gas cylinder blast kills 1 at iconic Moscow toy shop

August 24, 2025

MOSCOW — At least one person was killed and several others injured Sunday when a gas cylinder exploded inside Moscow’s Central Children’s Store, one of the Russian capital’s most famous landmarks, according to state media.

The blast ripped through the building — still widely known by Russians as the “Detsky Mir” toy shop — located on Lubyanka Square near the headquarters of the Federal Security Service (FSB).

“Sadly, according to preliminary information, as a result of the incident, there is a death and some people have been injured,” Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said in a statement.

Emergency services evacuated the building, which houses shops, restaurants and a cinema. Video and photos showed police and security personnel cordoning off the area.

The Telegram channel Mash reported that a helium canister, not a gas cylinder, may have been the source of the blast. Authorities have not confirmed that account. — Agencies


August 24, 2025
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