At least 20 have been confirmed dead and 134 people wounded from an unexplained explosion last week at a factory in Russia’s Ryazan region, emergency services said on Monday.
Pavel Malkov, governor of the Ryazan region, said last Friday that the incident had been triggered by a fire breaking out inside a workshop at the factory.
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According to Russian media reports, it remains unclear what caused the fire or what the factory was producing. Official Russian sources provided no details beyond efforts to find and treat the injured.
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Some media reported that it was an explosives plant but Reuters was unable to immediately verify that information.
In a Telegram post, the local emergency service headquarters said, “As of August 18, 20 people died as a result of the emergency incident.”
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“There are 134 injured, of whom 31 patients are in hospitals in Ryazan and Moscow, while 103 patients are undergoing outpatient treatment.”
Video footage released by the emergencies ministry showed parts of the plant completely destroyed, with rescuers working through giant piles of rubble with sniffer dogs.
In another video, psychologists were shown working with local residents to provide counselling.
