A welder is in police custody after allegedly causing a fire that gutted 15 apartments in a high-rise in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, the region's governor said Monday.
The man faces a charge of destruction of property by recklessness for allegedly causing the fire while welding a balcony on the 25-floor building, Governor Stella Alexeyeva said in comments carried by state news agency RIA Novosti.
The blaze erupted on Sunday and was extinguished hours later, including with the assistance of a firefighting helicopter that sprayed water into upper floors.
More than 100 residents were evacuated, and no injuries were reported, state newspaper Rossiiskaya Gazeta reported. The building was constructed only a few years ago, and many of the apartments were still vacant.
The worker's identity has not been disclosed. Krasnoyarsk is the third largest city in Siberia.
