This handout photograph taken and released by the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry on Oct 22, 2021, shows firefighters working to put out a fire at a gunpowder and chemicals plant in Ryazan region. (YURI KADOBNOV / RUSSIAN EMERGENCY SITUATIONS MINISTRY / AFP)
Sixteen people were killed in an explosion and fire at a gunpowder and chemicals plant in Russia's western Ryazan province, TASS news agency reported on Friday, citing a source.
The emergencies ministry confirmed 12 deaths in the accident, saying four people remained missing.
TASS quoted its source as saying the accident had been caused by a failure to observe the proper technical process at the facility.
Pictures from the site published by the ministry showed firefighters standing next to a brick building that appeared to have been partly demolished by the blast.
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