MOSCOW, Aug. 16 — At least 11 people were killed and 130 others injured after an explosion tore through a factory in Russia’s Ryazan region, the emergencies ministry said Saturday.
The blast occurred Friday in a workshop about 320 kilometers (198 miles) southeast of Moscow. In a statement on Telegram, the ministry said search operations were ongoing as rescuers continued to sift through the rubble.
Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov confirmed the casualties and said the explosion was preceded by a fire inside one of the factory’s workshops. “Rescue operations are continuing at the site,” he noted Friday.
Authorities have not yet determined the cause of the fire or disclosed the type of production carried out at the facility. Some Russian media outlets reported that the incident may have been triggered by gunpowder igniting.
The Ryazan region has previously been targeted by Ukrainian drone attacks on both military and economic sites, though officials have not linked Friday’s explosion to any strike.
