Steph Deschamps / July 8, 2023
An explosion at an explosives factory in the Samara region of central Russia killed at least six people on Friday and injured two others, according to emergency services quoted by Russian news agencies.
An explosion occurred at the Promsintez plant in Chapayevsk. Six people died and two others were injured," an emergency services representative told the state agency TASS.
According to TASS, the detonation occurred during the "dismantling of a technical pipe" and was not followed by a fire. The town of Chapayevsk is located some forty kilometers from Samara, the capital of the eponymous region.
According to its page on the Russian social network VK, the Promsintez plant is one of the "leading producers of explosives in Russia" and the former USSR. It manufactures explosives for the mining industry and employs around 1,300 people. "The plant's production is used (...) for prospecting for oil and gas reserves, and for mining," says the source.
Fatal industrial accidents are frequent in Russia, due to negligence or outdated equipment. Many factories in Russia have been running at full capacity since the start of the offensive in Ukraine in February 2022.