In Russia, fifteen dead in the fire of an explosives factory

A fire in an explosives manufacturing plant in Russia’s Ryazan region, about 200 km south of Moscow, killed 15 people, regional authorities said on Friday (October 22nd).

“Fifteen people died, one person was hospitalized with severe burns, and the fate of another remains unknown”, said the regional government in a statement, while a previous report showed seven dead and nine missing.

More than 170 firefighters and rescuers were dispatched to the scene to bring the blaze under control. “Nothing threatens the population” neighboring localities, underlined the ministry of emergency situations.

Firefighters at the scene of an explosives factory fire in the Ryazan region of Russia on October 22, 2021.

The incident occurred in a factory owned by the Elastik company, which specializes in the manufacture of industrial explosives for civilian use, according to its site, but which also has “Production capacities” of ammunition.

Considered a “Strategic enterprise” by the Russian government, it belongs, again according to the company’s website, to the state conglomerate Rostec, which brings together a group of companies supplying industrial or high-tech products to the civilian and military sectors.

Dilapidated infrastructure

The fire was reportedly caused by a “Violation of technological processes” and ” safety standards “, according to a source belonging to the police, quoted by the Interfax press agency.

Accidental or deadly explosions and fires are common in Russia, due to the dilapidated infrastructure, often dating from the Soviet era, or non-compliance with safety standards.

In December 2020, eleven people were killed in a fire in a retirement home in the Urals region. In January 2020, eleven and four people died respectively in separate fires in Tomsk and Moscow in migrant housing.

The most serious fire in recent years was in 2018, when 64 people died after flames ravaged a shopping center, whose alarm systems and emergency exits were inoperative.

In Saint Petersburg, it is a historic factory, the Nevsky Manufactory, which was destroyed by fire in April 2021. The building, dilapidated and partially abandoned, notably housed industrial workshops, but also offices.

Accidents in factories, explosives or fireworks storage sites are also quite common in Russia, especially when it comes to the army ammunition depot. In October 2020, a brush fire caused a fire and powerful explosions at an ammunition depot in the Ryazan region, evacuating around 2,000 people from neighboring villages. This type of disaster can last for several days.

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The World with AFP

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