SUMMARY
- A warehouse explosion near Moscow has injured dozens and left one dead.
- The once-optical factory's warehouse was being used by a pyrotechnics company, Piro Ross, to store fireworks.
- This incident follows a pattern of industrial accidents in Russia, highlighting ongoing concerns about safety regulations.
A staggering explosion shook a warehouse located an hour from Moscow's heart, wounding dozens, in a scene almost cinematic in its magnitude.
Witnesses' smartphones captured the aftermath of the blast at the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant in Sergiev Posad, with images of an enormous mushroom cloud that seemed more at home in a Hollywood blockbuster than in real life.
Once a key supplier of night-vision devices and binoculars for Russia's security forces, the factory's function had taken a twist. Though it was initially believed to be a factory-related incident, local officials noted that a private pyrotechnics company named Piro Ross, which had been storing fireworks in a warehouse on the plant grounds, was possibly at the root of the disaster. Piro Ross, however, rejected any such allegations.
The incident has resulted in at least 56 injuries, six of them critical, and one fatality, according to official reports. Governor Andrei Vorobyov noted that the location of the explosion had long ceased to be involved in optical or mechanical production. The explosion's ripples reached nearby buildings, shattering windows, and causing an immediate evacuation.
Russia's recent history of industrial accidents, particularly within military establishments, underscores a troubling pattern. This latest incident, leading to a criminal inquiry for violating industrial safety norms, yet again casts a spotlight on the country's handling of hazardous materials.
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