A fire at an industrial plant in Russia’s Ryazan region on Friday resulted in 11 deaths and injured 130 people, officials reported on Saturday. The incident occurred at the Elastik plant located in the Shilovsky District, about 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of Moscow. Emergency teams continued their search through the rubble over the weekend, recovering two more bodies overnight, according to the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
Reports from the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti indicated that a fire in a gunpowder workshop sparked the explosion. Among the injured, 29 remained hospitalized as of Saturday—13 in Ryazan and 16 transferred to medical facilities in Moscow.
Authorities said three individuals were rescued from beneath the debris overnight while an initial investigation into the cause of the fire was launched. The Ryazan regional government declared Monday a day of mourning. Governor Pavel Malkov announced on Telegram that flags would be flown at half-mast across the region and that cultural institutions, as well as television and radio outlets, were requested to cancel entertainment events.
This tragedy marks the second fatal explosion at the Elastik plant within four years. In October 2021, a blast at a workshop operated by explosives manufacturer Razryad killed 17 people, as reported by the Russian state news agency Interfax.
Also Read:
Europol Coordinates Worldwide Crackdown on Pro-Russian Cybercriminals
Firefighters gain ground on wildfire that prompted mass evacuations north of Los Angeles
