News Luxury skyscraper hotel completely engulfed by fire

[Athena]

Just in, Luxury skyscraper hotel completely engulfed by fire

Flames have enveloped several floors of the highest building in the North Caucasus, southern Russia. It is unclear if there have been people inside. The Grozny-city complex in the in Chechen Republic includes luxury apartments and a 5-star hotel.

 

[Urwumpe]

Grozny? Not high on the list of places that I would like to visit as tourist.

 

[N_Molson]

Looks like a giant match :shifty: I really hope there was nobody inside or that they were able to evacuate safely.

 

[MattBaker]

Chechen Republic and burning skyscrapers give me a feeling of terrorism, although the region seems to have calmed down a bit (Or are we just not paying attention while looking at Syria, Somalia, Mali and Afghanistan?).

On the other hand it's Russia, where safety regulations are probably not as high as in Europe.

 

[statickid]

well i've never seen anything like that before! o.o what a nightmare

hope everybody was okay

 

[Artlav]

News say that everyone have left the building safely, no casualties reported so far.
It's still under construction, so there weren't much of them there anyway.

Preliminary suspect for the blaze is mineral wool being used for insulation, which is said to be "as flammable as gunpowder".

 

[N_Molson]

Preliminary suspect for the blaze is mineral wool being used for insulation, which is said to be "as flammable as gunpowder".

Sadly, I was expecting something like that... :facepalm:

 

[statickid]

Ah yes, a perfect building material. I'll be insulating a new room in my home, is this insulation available in the U.S.?

Hmmmmm. According to this absolutely random source, mineral wool has high fire resistance

http://www.isover.com/Our-solutions/Insulation-materials/Mineral-wool/Fire-behaviour

Maybe the specific brand, or manufacturing defect

 

[Athena]

Some more info


“According to preliminary information, the cause of the fire in the skyscraper was a short circuit. A more concise report will be done after experts examine the building,” the source told the tabloid.

In the burning skyscrapers called “Olympus” is an apartment belonging to French film star and tax exile Gerard Depardieu. LifeNews tabloid reports local administration confirmed the Frenchman’s apartment is on the 27th floor, facing the so-called “heart of Grozny”- central mosque.

“The fire has completely enveloped the right-hand side of the skyscraper. Both the wall and the window of the actor’s apartment have been damaged,” the tabloid quoted a local police source as saying."

More images

and a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DR3UMwDAtSA

 

[PeterRoss]

Safety regulations in Russia are quite strict, to the point of stupidity sometimes. It's another matter that noone gives a care if builders are using fire-resistant mineral wool or not if they bribed enough people who's responsible for fire safety. And it's ten times worse in Chechnya.

 

[N_Molson]

In the burning skyscrapers called “Olympus” is an apartment belonging to French film star and tax exile Gerard Depardieu.

:jj: Hehehe crime never pays... hum, sorry.

 

[statickid]

Safety regulations in Russia are quite strict, to the point of stupidity sometimes. It's another matter that noone gives a care if builders are using fire-resistant mineral wool or not if they bribed enough people who's responsible for fire safety. And it's ten times worse in Chechnya.

so though fire resistant mineral wool exists, they probably used a different (cheaper) mineral wool with different ingredients.

 

[PeterRoss]

It maybe so. It maybe alucobond sandwich panels burning too. Alucobond is very popular in Russia and it's flammable alright.

 

[Ark]

Generally speaking, a glass/steel/concrete building like that shouldn't go up like a book of matches when an electrical outlet shorts out. In a properly designed and constructed building, one or two units can be completely roasted and the rest of the building remains intact.

Yeah, I'd say somebody cut some corners building that thing. :lol:

 

[Artlav]

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen republic, wrote off the fire to the will of Allah.
http://www.dp.ru/a/2013/04/04/Glava_CHechni_Ramzan_Kadiro
"The fire happened by the will of the Almighty, against whom we are powerless".

Meanwhile, the official criminal investigation still have no suspects.

 

[Urwumpe]

You have a misinterpretation there: "The fire happened by the will of the Almighty, against whom we are powerless."

Kadyrov clearly means Putin. :rofl:

 

[PeterRoss]

I was sure they will find some electrician or janitor to be guilty, but Allah...:hmm:

 

[Quick_Nick]

Ramzan Kadyrov, the leader of the Chechen republic, wrote off the fire to the will of Allah.
http://www.dp.ru/a/2013/04/04/Glava_CHechni_Ramzan_Kadiro
"The fire happened by the will of the Almighty, against whom we are powerless".

Meanwhile, the official criminal investigation still have no suspects.

I imagine police sketches of Allah would be a touchy subject. :lol: