At least nine missing after Russian warehouse blast

AFP
Nine people were still missing Thursday after a huge explosion tore through a warehouse in the Russian city of Sergiyev Posad, investigators said.
AFP
At least nine missing after Russian warehouse blast
AFP

Emergency services work at the site of an explosion on Wednesday in the Russian city of Sergiyev Posad.

Nine people were still missing Thursday after a huge explosion tore through a warehouse in the Russian city of Sergiyev Posad, investigators said.

At least one person died in Wednesday's blast, which officials said began in a warehouse used to store pyrotechnics in the city north of Moscow.

"More than 60 people have sought medical help, nine are missing," Russia's Investigative Committee said in a social media post.

The local emergencies ministry told AFP that search efforts were still going on.

Rescue workers could be seen sawing through the ruins of a collapsed building overnight, while firefighters sprayed water on the smouldering wreckage.

The cause of the incident was not immediately clear. Investigators said they had opened a criminal case into suspected violations of industrial safety.

Accidental fires are common in Russia, where hundreds of blazes are recorded each year due to ageing infrastructure and poorly enforced safety standards.


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