In the eerie stillness of the early morning on December 4th, the city of Moscow was engulfed in chaos as a transformer substation suddenly burst into flames, plunging three districts into darkness and shivering in the sub-zero temperatures.

More than 20 high-rise buildings were caught in a perilous predicament, with no electricity or heat to shield them from the bone-chilling cold, which plummeted to a staggering minus-27.1 degrees Celsius (minus-17 Fahrenheit).

The fire erupted at a transformer substation on Vysokovolotny Proezd around 6 a.m., unleashing shockwaves throughout the Bibirevo, Otradnoye, and Medvedkovo districts, and beyond, according to reports from the Mash Telegram channel.

In response to the crisis, authorities in the Russian capital unveiled that “most of the buildings have been switched to a backup power source after a fire at a substation in Moscow, and about 40 buildings will be switched in the next hour and a half to two hours.”

A united front is currently underway to address the situation, as numerous firefighting crews rally to confront the chaos. However, the cause of the substation fire remains enshrouded in mystery.

Adding to the challenge, meteorologists underscored that the previous night marked Moscow’s coldest since the arrival of winter, with temperatures plunging to a bone-chilling minus 27.1 degrees Celsius. The power outage has taken a toll on high-rise buildings in three Moscow districts, leaving residents to fend for themselves in the biting cold.

According to Mash Telegram, temperatures inside the affected Moscow apartments have plummeted to a meagre 10-15 degrees Celsius (50-59 Fahrenheit), further exacerbating the plight of the residents left in the lurch by the power outage and the freezing inferno.

As the city grapples with the aftermath, the arduous task of restoring power and warmth to the affected districts is underway. But for the residents left in the cold and darkness, the ordeal is a grim reminder of the fragility of modern conveniences in the face of the unforgiving forces of Mother Nature.

In the heart of Moscow, the battle against the biting cold and the oppressive darkness rages on, as the city navigates through this harrowing ordeal, grappling with the raw power of nature and the resilience of the human spirit.