At least one person has died and seven others have been injured in a gas explosion at a shopping mall in the Russian city of Vladikavkaz, local emergency services said.

According to Russian media, the explosion occurred on the third floor of the mall as employees were preparing stores for opening.

The explosion caused a fire, and about 800 square meters of retail space is currently engulfed in flames, including the roof of the building.

The president of Russia’s North Ossetia announced that he was on the scene, where the operational headquarters has been deployed, and the process of extinguishing the fire is underway.