(Photo: YouTube/juryvs)
GROZNY, Russia (TheBlaze/AP) -- Fire has engulfed an unoccupied 40-story apartment building currently under construction in Chechnya, a once war-torn republic in southern Russia.
Emergency officials say 30 people were evacuated Wednesday but that, mercifully, no one was injured. The cause of the fire has not yet been determined.
The building is part of a complex of high-rises under construction in the center of Grozny, the Chechen capital.
Twitchy captured tweets documenting the scene, and we've added a few photos as well:
(Photo: Twitter/@RT_com)
(Photo: Twitter/@fulelo)
A local resident makes photos with a mobile phone of a fire in a high-rise apartment building in provincial capital Grozny, Russia, Wednesday, April 3, 2013. French actor Gerard Depardieu reportedly received an apartment in the complex of buildings as a gift from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. (Photo: AP)
A fire rages in a high-rise apartment building in provincial capital Grozny, Russia, Wednesday, April 3, 2013. French actor Gerard Depardieu reportedly received an apartment in the complex of buildings as a gift from Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov. People are not living in the building yet. (Photo: AP)
(Photo: Twitter/@tschetschenien)
One of the apartments in a neighboring 27-story building belongs to French actor Gerard Depardieu, who was presented with the keys when he visited Grozny in February.
His high-profile departure from France over the high tax rates was widely reported. In addition to meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, he was also welcomed by Chechnya's strongman leader, Ramzan Kadyrov.
With lavish funding from Moscow, Kadyrov has been rebuilding Grozny, which was reduced to rubble during Chechnya's two separatist wars against Russia in the 1990s. Now at least one of the buildings may have to be rebuilt.
CNN has more on the story:
