A powerful explosion at a factory in Russia’s Ryazan region killed 11 people and injured 130 others, the country’s emergency ministry confirmed on Saturday.
The blast occurred on Friday, about 320 kilometres southeast of Moscow, according to Reuters. Rescuers are still searching through the rubble, the ministry said in a statement on Telegram.
Ryazan Governor Pavel Malkov said the incident was triggered by a fire inside a workshop at the facility. The exact cause of the blaze remains unclear, and officials have not disclosed what the factory produced.
Some Russian media outlets reported that the explosion may have been caused by gunpowder catching fire.
The Ryazan region has previously been targeted by Ukrainian drone strikes on military and economic infrastructure.