Eight people have been injured in a fire at a gas-fired power station near Moscow, Russian officials said on Thursday.

The fire in the city of Mytishchi, some 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) from Moscow, spread out over a territory of 200 square meters (2,153 square feet) and produced a column of fire towering 50 m (164 ft) high, said a statement by the Russia Emergency Ministry.

As the fire sent a plume of smoke and flames 50 meters (165 feet) into the sky, a female employee was unable to escape in time, Russia's emergencies ministry said.

"While searching through debris at the fire scene, one fatality was discovered," the ministry said.

Fourteen people received medical treatment, one of whom was hospitalized.

The fire broke out on the grounds of Power Station No. 27, some 20 kilometers (13 miles) from Moscow, around 11:00 am (0800 GMT) and took about five hours to put out.

The smoke and flames were visible from the capital and the emergencies ministry said the fire blazed over an area of 800 square meters (8,600 square feet) though the power station itself -- including the cooling towers -- was not affected.

The emergency services sent helicopters to drop water and fire-fighting trains to tackle the blaze, with some 160 firefighters at the scene.

One witness, Sofiya Fesenko, who lives in a nearby town, told Russian television that hot water flowed from cold taps after the fire.

"We saw smoke covering half the sky," she said.

The fire subsided after authorities switched off the gas supply.

Investigators were working to pinpoint the cause.

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