The explosion left 60 people injured, with eight still missing, local authorities have reported
© Sputnik / Office of the Moscow Region’s Governor
New footage has surfaced online showing the very moment a factory in Moscow Region was rocked by a powerful blast.
Published by Russia’s Mash news outlet, the video – which was taken from inside a moving vehicle – shows a fireball and a plume of smoke rising above the nearby buildings just seconds before the car itself is hit by a massive blast wave, damaging its windscreen. The vehicle is then pelted with debris moments later. A driver and a passenger inside appear to be unharmed.
The explosion happened at the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant in the town of Sergiyev Posad, outside of Moscow. According to its website, the factory designs and produces optical and electronic equipment.
Dmitry Akulov, a local administration head, told the Russian media on Wednesday evening that 60 people had been injured in the blast. Eight people are still missing, he said, adding that a debris clearing operation is still underway at the blast site.
Earlier, Russian news outlets reported that almost 40 apartment blocks had been damaged by the explosion and local authorities confirmed receiving a total of 235 complaints from residents.
Andrey Vorobyov, Moscow Region’s governor, said earlier that 43 people had been taken to a local hospital after the blast and six of them were being treated in intensive care. A female factory employee later succumbed to her injuries, according to the local administration.
READ MORE: Powerful explosion at factory in Moscow Region
Authorities have not yet made official comments on the potential reasons for the blast. A source in emergency services told RIA Novosti that the explosion had taken place due to a violation of technical procedures.
