Cryptocurrency goes up in smoke: fire ‘caused by mining’

Eight apartments were destroyed by fire and 30 more were flooded as the emergency services tried to save the building. 

There were no reports of casualties at the inferno in Artem, in Primorsky region. 

'We have spotted something which looks like mining equipment,' said a spokesman for the local division of the Emergencies Ministry. 

One resident called Oleg said: ‘Mining rig equipment was found in the attic.

Apartment block caught fire in Artem. Pictures: Yu.s.ya

'I would now ban miners totally, so many apartments are burned completely, and 30 are flooded.’ 

Another resident Roman Vislobokov said the emergency services had been slow to evacuate residents.

'Our apartment was across the wall from the fire,’ he said. ‘At first the attic of our neighbours caught fire. 

‘We survived by a miracle, the emergency services did not evacuate us. 

‘At about 2am my girlfriend woke me having hallucinations from carbon monoxide gas. 

‘By that time there was no electricity. In the smoke and darkness we grabbed our passports, took the dog, put on our shoes and jackets and ran.

'For half an hour we watched as everything burned, the fire spreads over our apartment.’ 

Video of fire in the apartment block, and the aftermath by Yu.s.ya

Some 500 square metres was destroyed by the blaze.

The suspicion is that Bitcoin mining in the block led to the overheating of the electrical grid.

In Russia people often install cryptocurrency mining equipment in their flats or under the roof of apartment blocks - and suck electricity from the line that feeds the building or part of it. 

Too much pressure on the circuit can lead to fire.