A disgruntled shop worker burnt down the superstore he worked at in Russia after being told off by his boss over a price tag mix up, according to police.
According to reports, Alexander Schnaider, 33, had been changing price tags on items at the superstore he worked at in Tomsk, Russia, when he was reprimanded by his manager.
Fed up with being complained at over his work, Schnaider allegedly doused a box of fireworks in alcohol and ignited it before leaving the store.
Pictured: The circled man is alleged to be Schnaider as he walked away from the fireworks, having just set them on fire
Alexander Schnaider, 33, (pictured) has been accused of burning down the superstore he worked at in Russia following a disagreement with his boss
Thick smoke rose high into the sky as the inferno ripped through the building yesterday
Citing a police source, Life Shot reported: ‘His job was to change price labels, but he constantly confused them and put the wrong ones in the wrong place.
‘The manager regularly criticised him and made him redo it. So he was fed up and outraged with her.’
Following the incident on Tuesday, police arrested Schnaider and he has been charged with arson motivated by ‘personal enmity’ against the management, local media reports.
The suspect reportedly confessed to police: ‘There was white spirit on the counter…
Pictured: The devastation left behind at the store by the blaze. ‘Hundreds of thousands’ of pounds worth of goods have reportedly been destroyed
Pictured: A thick plume of smoke could be seen pouring out of the roof of the superstore and into the sky as the blaze tore through the building
A group of firefighters are seen leaving through the front doors of the store after successfully putting the flames out
‘I started spraying it….(then) set the whole thing on fire.
‘As soon as it went up, I saw a guard run up to try and extinguish it…
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‘There was screaming, panic.
‘I just turned around, put on my coat, and went home.’
And video footage allegedly shows the moment that Schnaider set fire to the fireworks in the store – which had been on sale for New Year celebrations.
The huge store was destroyed in the ensuing blaze, costing hundreds of thousands of pounds, which caused ‘screaming and panic’ among Christmas shoppers.
Pictured: A man thought to be another employee attempts to douse the flames when the fire first broke out
Firefighters worked for 11 hours to completely extinguish the flames at the store
An aerial image shows the scale of the devastation caused by the blaze at the superstore
Some 200 people – customers and staff – were safely evacuated from the branch of Lenta in Tomsk, Russia, but police said it was a ‘miracle’ there were no casualties.
Dense smoke and flames engulfed the hypermarket and firefighters worked for 11 hours to extinguish the inferno.
Speaking afterwards, an employee said: ‘The fire started in the department with fireworks. This was arson.
‘People saw that an employee poured something onto the fireworks, and ignited them. Then it all started.
‘We work in part of the store where there is a bakery and a kitchen.
‘We heard what sounded like shooting. We saw the fireworks shooting in all directions.’
And commenting on her son’s alleged actions, Schnaider’s mother said: ‘He cannot explain his actions.’
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