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27.08.

2000: Fire at the Ostankino Tower near Moscow

2000: Fire at the Ostankino Tower near Moscow
Photo Credit To Wikipedia Commons

Story Highlights

  • Historical event:
  • 27 August 2000
  • The tower was allegedly evacuated after 90 minutes, but four people died – three firefighters and one female lift operator.

The Ostankino Tower near Moscow caught fire on this day in 2000.



It is one of the world’s tallest towers (540.1 meters tall). The tower is located in the northern part of Moscow, about 7 kilometers from the center (the Red Square and the Kremlin).

The fire broke out at a height of 458 meters (for example, the Empire State Building in New York is 443 meters tall, including the top of its antenna). That was as much as 50% higher than the total height of the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

The cause of the fire was allegedly a short-circuit in wiring, and the fire broke out at a height of approximately hundred meters above the so-called observation platform.

The tower was evacuated allegedly after 90 minutes, but four people died – three firefighters and one female lift operator.




The firefighters were forced to haul equipment and fire extinguishers by hand up the tower in order to halt the fire. The fire destroyed much of the tower’s interior, but it didn’t collapse (some feared that would happen).

Ostankino Tower was renovated, which cost a lot, and the mentioned observation platform was re-opened in 2009.

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