A powerful explosion rocked a factory in the city of Sergiev Posad, Moscow region, on Wednesday (9), causing a large cloud of smoke over residential buildings. At least one person died and 56 people were injured. There are reports of people missing under rubble.
As reports of the explosion began to circulate on social media this morning, there was speculation that it was a drone attack by Ukraine, but officials dismissed the hypothesis. An investigation has been launched
Russian emergency services said the explosion took place in a warehouse that stored fireworks on the premises of an optics factory.
According to the governor of the Moscow region, Adrey Vorobyov, rescuers will need another 12 hours to remove the rubble, and there may be buried survivors.
“30 (people) are now in the hospital, six of them in intensive care. Another 26 people went to the emergency room – they didn’t need hospitalization”, informed the governor.
As a result of the explosion, about 20 residential buildings, two schools, a sports complex and a college were damaged. The factory announced the evacuation of all surrounding buildings.
Speculation about a possible Ukrainian attack comes amid an increase in drone recurrences that have hit Russia’s mainland over the past month. In total, 16 drone attacks were counted only during the month of July until the beginning of August.
Most of the attacks took place in the capital of Moscow, in the Belgorod region, which is close to the Ukrainian border, and on the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia in 2014.
Editing: Rodrigo Durão Coelho
