An explosion in a fireworks warehouse in a town near Moscow on Wednesday caused 45 injuries, six of whom were hospitalized in serious condition, Russian authorities announced.
The explosion occurred in the morning hours (local time) in the city of Sergiev Posad, located in the Moscow region, 75 kilometers northeast of the Russian capital, according to the Russian agency TASS.
The agency reported that six people were in intensive care, “five of whom have 100% burns on their bodies.”
The representative of the city district, Dmitry Akulov, said that the emergency services had evacuated the nearby buildings, according to the Spanish news agencies EFE and Europa Press.
At least 20 buildings were damaged with broken windows, including a sports complex and several schools.
The warehouse with pyrotechnic products was located inside the Zagorsk Optical Mechanics Factory, the Russian press reported.
The Kommersant newspaper reported that the affected area, about 100 square meters, was completely destroyed.
The explosion caused a fire that was extinguished by firefighters.
The causes of the explosion are unknown, but the chairman of the parliamentary commission for Construction, Housing and Public Services, Sergei Pakhomov, attributed the incident to an alleged breach of the factory’s security system.
The PiroRoss company, which rented the warehouse, is in bankruptcy proceedings, according to TASS.
Zagorsk is a leading company in the development and manufacture of optical and optoelectronic devices for the police, industry and health, the Russian agency added.
Source: TSF
