The ceiling of the National Philharmonic’s main hall has collapsed as firefighters step up efforts to put out the blaze that started at around noon.  

The Emergencies Inspectorate said the a command center has been created to manage the response unfolding in downtow Chisinau. The number of fire engines intervening has been doubled to ten. In addition, five Gas and Smoke Service teams have been deployed to assist firefighters.

The operation is complicated by the fact that the roof of the 1940 building is made of clay and wood.

Earlier, National Philharmonic director Svetlana Bivol has told IPN that the fire was probably caused by sparks from a welding apparatus employed to fix a pipe in an annex. Bivol added that after the morning rehearsal, everybody left the building, except for a few staff, who were evacuated immediately, so no one was in danger.