Luxury skyscraper hotel completely engulfed by fire in Grozny, Chechnya (VIDEO, PHOTOS)

Flames have enveloped all floors of the highest building in the North Caucasus, southern Russia. All people have managed to leave the building. The Grozny-city complex in the Chechen Republic includes luxury apartments and a 5-star hotel.

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According to witnesses’ pictures that immediately started to
appear on Twitter, all stories of the building are covered with
flames.

At the same time there have been reports suggesting that the
fire started on the top floor and the bottom floor was on fire as
well.

All people have managed to leave the building; one woman was
seen to be supported by others, witnesses said. Local police
confirmed no one was injured.

Fire units and ambulances have arrived at the scene. Nearly 300
people are involved in extinguishing the fire. The area around the
Grozny-City complex has been cordoned off.

Firefighters have managed to extinguish the flames on the lower
floors. However, the fire has spread very quickly, making it
difficult to tackle the blaze from the ground. Helicopters
have been sent from the southern city of Pyatigorsk to help
out.

Interfax news agency reports the local emergency service said
the call about the fire on between the 4th and 5th floors was
received at around 18:00 PM local time (14:00 GMT).

The Grozny-City complex was partly open in 2011. In one of the
skyscrapers is an apartment belonging to French film star and tax
exile Gerard Depardieu. The head of Chechen Republic Ramzan Kadyrov
granted the actor the status of “Chechen’s
honorable resident” and presented an apartment in Grozny-City
shortly after the Frenchman was granted Russian citizenship.

The complex consists of seven skyscrapers both condominiums and
a hotel: one 40-storey (currently on fire), one 30-storey, three
28-storey and two 18-storey buildings. The completed complex would
boast 1000 apartments.