Burned Moscow TV Tower Is Salvageable
MOSCOW — The giant TV tower that was greatly damaged in a fire--severely affecting broadcasting in the nation--is stable enough to be restored, officials said Tuesday.
About 25% of the 149 steel cables that bind sections of the 1,772-foot Ostankino tower were damaged, Emergencies Minister Sergei K. Shoigu said, but experts have inspected the structure for two days and concluded that it is stable.
Flames spread through the tower Sunday and Monday, raising concerns that some of it might fall or that it would have to be torn down.
The fire started in the tower’s thin spire about 1,470 feet above ground because of a short circuit, officials say. It spread downward, cutting broadcasts to the capital and burning the observation deck and restaurant.
A third victim of the fire was identified Tuesday as Alexander Shepitsyn, a plumber in the tower, a spokeswoman with the Emergencies Ministry said.
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Shepitsyn had died in an elevator where the two other bodies were found.
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