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

Footage captured by Reuters showed a plume of thick black smoke billowing into the air, near residential buildings and a shopping centre in a built-up district of the city.

The FSB said a fire had broken out in a workshop, causing an explosion and the partial collapse of the building, Russian news agencies reported. It said there were casualties but provided no specific details.

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.

Nearby buildings were evacuated and authorities opened an investigation, Golubev said, adding that the fire had spread to an area of more than 800sqm. By 4pm (1300 GMT), it had been put out, Russian news agencies reported.

They quoted local emergency services as saying one person had been killed and two more injured in the incident.