Fire erupts at Russian precious metals, diamonds research institute in Irkutsk VIDEO

A fire broke out on May 23 at the Research Institute of Precious and Rare Metals and Diamonds in the Siberian city of Irkutsk, according to Russian emergency authorities cited by the independent outlet ASTRA.

The regional branch of Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations said it received reports of smoke coming from the top floor of the institute’s four-story building at 10:58 a.m. local time. 

Emergency services dispatched 33 firefighters and 10 units of equipment to the scene. Upon arrival, crews found one of the offices engulfed in flames.

Authorities said there were no fatalities or injuries. The preliminary fire area was estimated at 700 square meters.

Officials also stated that no threat to unmanned aircraft operations had been reported in the region.

By Sabina Mammadli