Kopeysk munitions plant explosion kills 10, injures 18 as probe opens

An explosion at a munitions plant in the Russian city of Kopeysk killed 10 people and injured at least 18 on Wednesday night, Chelyabinsk region Governor Aleksei Teksler said, as emergency crews worked to extinguish fires and clear the site. Authorities said recovery teams and psychologists from federal emergency services were assisting survivors and that a municipal state of emergency had been declared in the town.

Teksler said the blast occurred at the Plastmass plant, a facility that produces explosives and ammunition and is part of a state-affiliated industrial holding. He added that a second explosion followed the initial blast and that five people were in critical condition. Emergency services reported the blaze had been brought under control by Thursday morning and teams were engaged in recovery and site-clearing operations.

Russia's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case into alleged violations of industrial safety rules at a hazardous facility, officials said. Investigators described preliminary findings that point to breaches of safety procedures during a technological process in a workshop. Authorities did not immediately provide a final determination of cause.