11 Killed in Ryazan Explosives Plant Blast

At least eleven workers were killed and 130 injured in a blast at an explosives plant in Russia’s Ryazan region southeast of Moscow, emergency officials said Friday.

According to the state-run news agency RIA Novosti, a gunpowder workshop at the Elastik synthetic fiber plant caught fire and triggered explosions.

"Unfortunately, 11 people were killed," the Emergency Situations Ministry said on social media, publishing photographs of debris and severe damage to a building.

It added that 130 people were injured in the blast.

Russian emergency officials said they were working around the clock to clear the damage.

Investigators said they were carrying out a preliminary probe into the fire in the village of Lesnoy, located 65 kilometers (40 miles) southeast of the city of Ryazan and 250 kilometers (155 miles) southeast of Moscow.

Anonymous emergency sources told RIA Novosti the fire and explosion may have been caused by safety violations.

Local authorities in the Ryazan region announced a day of mourning.

"Flags will be lowered on the territory of the whole region," Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said on Telegram.

It is the second fatal explosion at the Elastic factory since October 2021, when 17 people were killed in a workshop operated by explosives producer Razryad.

Elastic belongs to the state defense conglomerate Rostec, which brings together a range of companies supplying industrial or high-tech products to the civilian and military sectors.

Local media said the factory went bankrupt in 2015 and that its workshops were used by other explosives makers.

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