Explosive factory in Russia explodes, more than 200 buildings damaged
79 people were injured after an explosion occurred at a TNT explosives factory in western Russia.
The explosion at the Kristall Research and Development Institute’s TNT explosives plant in Dzerzhinsk, 400 km from Moscow, on June 1 led to a fire. More than 350 people were mobilized to respond, and firefighters spent several hours extinguishing the fire.
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Smoke rises after an explosion in Dzerzhinsk on June 1. Photo:Reuters |
Five buildings at the plant were destroyed, and 200 were damaged in the surrounding area. Residents reported collapsed ceilings and broken windows in their homes. "I was at home when I heard a loud explosion. We were scared, the walls and roofs shook," said a witness in Dzerzhinsk.
Seventy-nine people were injured, including 38 factory employees and 41 local residents. Fifteen people were taken to hospital, one of them in serious condition. Russia is investigating the cause of the explosion, focusing heavily on the theory of industrial safety violations.
Kristall provides scientific and technical support for work related to the production of explosives and safety measures. This is the third explosion at an explosives plant in Russia in the past year. Last August, five workers were killed in an incident, and in April, an explosion destroyed a one-story building but caused no casualties.
