At least 43 injured by a powerful explosion in a Russian factory

Local officials in Russia said at least 43 people were injured by an explosion at an optic factory in the town of Sergiyev Posad, about 70 km from Moscow, on August 9th.

Six of the wounded are under intensive care because of severe burns and head injuries, according to the city administration. Some of the 43 people admitted to a regional hospital have been injured by metal chips.

The independent channel on Telegram, Base, distributed a video showing a huge cloud of smoke and identified the hit building as Zagorsk's Optic and Mechanical Plant, which produces night vision tools and other optical tools for the army.

Russian officials confirmed this later.

Russia's news agency, T The ASS, it quoted emergency services as denying the news on social networks that the cause of the blast was a fearful attack.

This speculation was prompted by intimidation attacks in Moscow in recent months, for which Moscow has blamed Kiev, as well as by Russian reports that it had prevented two new attacks with fears near Moscow during the night of August 8th.

TASS reported that the blast occurred at the site of the pyrotechnic vehicles and that a large warehouse was destroyed.

A sudden fire had damaged the same Zagorsk factory in June 2022.