At least one person was killed and two were injured in a blast and fire in the southern Russian city of Rostov-on-Don on Thursday. The blast occurred at a building belonging to the border patrol of Russia’s FSB security service, according to local officials quoted by Russian news agencies.

Reuters captured footage showed thick black smoke rising into the air, near residential buildings and a shopping center in a built-up district of the city.

Explosiion occurred in the FSB border guard directorate in Russia's Rostov

📹via https://t.co/8xI3UtJsrJ pic.twitter.com/7yTRarG5zV

— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) March 16, 2023

Rostov Governor Vasily Golubev said the fire appeared to have been caused by an electrical short-circuit.

“The spread of fire caused containers of fuel and lubricants to explode,” he said in a message posted on his Telegram channel.

BREAKING:

The headquarters of the Russian security service FSB in Rostov is on fire after a major explosion.

Rostov is located near the border with Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/RZhWydItKL

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) March 16, 2023

Nearby buildings were evacuated and authorities opened an investigation, the governor stressed, adding that the fire had spread to an area of more than 800 square meters.