Fire At 2018 World Cup Stadium In Nizhny Novgorod Won't Delay Completion

A "fire broke out on Thursday" at a World Cup stadium being built in the Russian city of Nizhny Novgorod ahead of next year's tournament, "but local officials said it had quickly been put out," according to REUTERS. Stroytransgaz, the contractor building the 45,000-seat venue, said in a statement that the fire started at 1:30pm local time in the stadium's stands "after a welding spark ignited polystyrene debris." The statement said, "The incident has no impact on construction and the deadline for the stadium's completion." Pictures and video footage of the fire circulated by Russian media "showed thick smoke rising from the venue, which is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year." The fire is "the third blaze reported to have hit World Cup venues" under construction in Russia since June, and came hours after FIFA said that Russia was "on track with its preparations to host the World Cup but that much work remained to be done" (REUTERS, 10/5).