A man died after a fire broke out at Kontula shopping centre in Helsinki in the early hours of Monday, with police stating there is no suspicion of a crime and an investigation into the cause under way. The blaze began in restricted storage areas and spread through parts of the building, forcing closures and evacuations.
Emergency services received an alert shortly before 2am on 6 April. A police patrol near the site first identified smoke and raised the alarm, according to a police statement.
The fire started in storage and rear service areas linked to a shared loading zone used by several businesses. These spaces are not open to the public.
A man born in the 1960s died in the incident. Police said he worked at the shopping centre and had access to the affected areas.
Rescue services reported that flames spread from the storage area into roof structures and nearby premises. Smoke travelled across the property through service corridors and the loading yard.
Around 20 rescue units attended the scene. Crews brought the fire under control in the early morning. By around 4am, extinguishing work had reached its final stage, with follow-up operations continuing.
The Kontula shopping centre, opened in 1967, is the largest open-air shopping complex in Finland.
Police said investigators would examine the site once it was safe to enter. The cause of the fire remains unknown.
HT