One person has been reported dead and three injured following an incident. Authorities attribute the blast to a technical malfunction involving a gas cylinder. There was no fire, and the building`s structural integrity remains intact. All visitors and staff were safely evacuated.
A suspected gas cylinder explosion rocked the Central Children`s World on Lubyanka. The incident has tragically left one person dead and three injured, with two requiring hospitalization. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin stated that the emergency was caused by a technical equipment malfunction, and investigators are working to determine the precise causes. The management of the Central Children`s Store confirmed that the blast originated at one of its leased premises, prompting an immediate evacuation of all shoppers and employees. The retail complex has since temporarily ceased operations.
Media sources indicate that a gas cylinder ruptured on the third floor, near the `Shokoladnitsa` cafe. An initial blaze led to significant smoke, necessitating the evacuation of visitors outdoors. Emergency services, including numerous ambulances, an emergency medical center, and fire brigades, quickly responded. Traffic around Lubyanka Square was temporarily restricted. The Ministry of Emergency Situations later confirmed that there were no ongoing signs of fire within the Central Children`s World building.
Business FM managed to speak with employees from nearby stores in the first minutes after the incident:
— “Detsky Mir” was cordoned off; I came out of “Lubyanka” metro five minutes ago. Everything is cordoned off everywhere.
— Are there many vehicles there, fire trucks?
— Very many.
— Aren`t they going to cordon you off?
— Maybe they`ll come in and close everyone down. For now, I`m alone in the store.
— Are there many people on the street?
— Very many.
***
— The entire “Detsky Mir” has been closed. I just asked an employee working there, and they told me there was a fire.
— Is the road blocked or can one drive through?
— You can drive through; the road wasn`t closed, just taped off with ribbons.
— Are there many people, how widespread is it?
— Yes, many, very many. I`m on the street.
— Are there any casualties, is anything known about that?
— They say someone burned their hand there; their left hand was charred.
Business FM also spoke with an employee from a first-floor store within the Children`s World who was present at the moment of the explosion.
— Of course, when the bang happened, all the walkie-talkies started working for the guards, naturally, and security simply began walking around the shopping center without an explicit evacuation signal, telling everyone to leave, to evacuate the shopping center. But even the metro passage, even there, it felt like it lifted — I don`t understand if a helium cylinder can explode like that or not, but the bang was very strong.
— What happened when you went outside?
— Ambulance, Ministry of Emergency Situations, police, red tape, people were moved further away from the shopping center, they were told not to approach, and of course, there was a large crowd.
Staff from the Kidburg play center, located within the Central Children`s Store, informed RIA Novosti that after the explosion, they quickly covered 20 children with blankets and led them out via a fire escape. Other mall employees reported that efforts were made to distract the children to prevent them from becoming frightened, as many were present in the store at the time.
RIA Novosti, citing emergency services, reported that the incident involved a balloon cylinder. According to Channel 360, cynologists arrived at the scene, and a search for explosives is underway. The Moscow Department of Health released images of the internal damage to the store, showing partially collapsed ceilings, shattered glass in shops, and damage to the interior cladding of premises.
Business FM discussed this footage with **explosives expert Sergey Volzhin**:
— A standard 100-liter cylinder, a large, tall cylinder. If that particular one burst, in principle, it`s quite possible — the gas is under high pressure there, and if it burst out, then yes, you get a volumetric rupture. By the way, I looked, there are only finishing, cladding damages, no damage to the load-bearing structure of the building, so it`s most likely just a domestic explosion. And as for the person who suffered, he was probably very close to the cylinder. The nozzle is at the top; it was probably damaged because the steel structure of the cylinder itself is designed for 2-3 times the pressure. Most likely, some not-so-smart person started tampering with this nozzle.
— According to some reports, it`s a gas cylinder, according to others — a helium cylinder. If we consider the working hypothesis of a helium cylinder, is it correct to understand that it`s only needed for inflating balloons or for something else?
— It`s an inert gas, lighter than air, yes, it`s used only exclusively for inflating balloons.
— Tell me, can people already be inside, given that the load-bearing structures were not damaged?
— Yes, of course. You see, the rescuers are even without masks, without respirators, meaning there will already be air access. Helium is lighter than air, it dissipates immediately.
However, for a helium cylinder to explode, a fire must first occur, and the cylinder would need to be in flames for at least half an hour, as explained by Alexey Zhuravlev, owner of `MAPA` balloon shops, to Business FM:
— The first thing that should be present is a stand for the cylinder itself, because the cylinder weighs 70 kilograms. Cylinders are marked every five years, so a cylinder rupture is impossible. It is made of very reliable metal, and even Soviet-era cylinders are still in service, which are checked for atmospheric pressure every time they are inflated. Helium itself does not poison, does not explode, does not burn. Helium is also safe for people; children breathe helium to get that squeaky voice. Therefore, it seems to me that the reason is somewhat different. In 14 years, nothing like this has ever happened in my nine stores, unless someone deliberately started a fire, then it could heat up, and the cylinder could indeed explode, but for that, it would have to burn for a very long time and at a very, very high temperature.
— An explosion expert said that, in principle, this cylinder is very protected, and problems are likely in the so-called nozzle, the upper part, and if someone tampers with it, an explosion could occur.
— No, by and large, there would simply be a gas leak, meaning the cylinder would be discharged. In 14 years, I have never encountered such things, but when such things happen, a fire in some premises, etc., it is very convenient to blame it on this, after which mass inspections, prohibitions, and so on begin. If you heat this cylinder, it would need to be in a fire for, I don`t know, half an hour.
The current Central Children`s Store stands on the site of the former legendary `Detsky Mir` on Lubyanka. In 2008, building owner Gals-Development closed the original store for extensive reconstruction, citing its engineering and technical condition. The renovation, completed in 2015, transformed the space from a three-story atrium with a famous carousel into a seven-story atrium, expanding the retail area by over a quarter.
The store maintains its status as the nation`s largest retailer of children`s goods. Last year, the Central Children`s Store was acquired by `Kievskaya Ploshchad` group, a prominent commercial real estate developer. Following today`s incident, the Investigative Committee has launched a criminal inquiry, corroborating the report of one fatality.
Rupert Blackwood 
Clement Ashworth