At least 12 killed in factory explosion in southern Russia

Over 10 people were killed and 19 others injured after a powerful explosion at an industrial site in southern Russia, which reports suggest may be linked to military production. Ten workers remain unaccounted for.

The explosion occurred on Wednesday at a factory in the city of Kopeysk, in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region near the Ural Mountains, Governor Aleksey Teksler said. At least 12 people were killed, and 10 others remain unaccounted for.

Five people were hospitalized in serious condition, while 14 others were treated for less severe injuries, Teksler added.

A local state of emergency has been declared, and investigators are working to determine the cause of the explosion. Teksler stated that “there was no drone attack.”

Although officials have not identified the facility, BBC News reported that verified video shows a massive fireball rising from the Plastmass plant, which manufactures and recycles explosives for Russia’s military.

The Chelyabinsk region is one of Russia’s key industrial centers, home to numerous defense-related factories supporting the country’s war in Ukraine, according to analyses by the Institute for the Study of War.

Russia’s Investigative Committee has opened a criminal inquiry to determine whether safety violations contributed to the disaster, according to state news agency TASS.