Eight Russian firefighters were killed as they were battling a blaze at a warehouse in eastern Moscow, authorities said on Friday.

According to Russia Today channel, their bodies were discovered after contact was lost as they fought to extinguish a huge blaze which broke out on Thursday evening at a plastics depot, the emergency services ministry said in a statement.

"The corpses of eight colleagues have been found in the main area where the search was located," the statement said.

There was hope that they would be alive. But due to the intense fire, the high temperatures and the thick smoke the firefighters were unable to get out, added the statement.

The emergency workers were among the first to arrive on the scene and helped evacuate 100 workers from the warehouse located in eastern the Russian capital, officials said.

They were battling flames on the roof of the building when it collapsed, the emergency services added.

Source: MENA