A fire at a fireworks production facility in the village of Kubrinsk, near Pereslavl-Zalessky in Russia's Yaroslavl Region, killed 14 people on September 28, according to the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry.
The blaze broke out at the petard manufacturing plant, destroying two production buildings on the facility's grounds. Of the 15 people inside at the time, 14 died and one woman was hospitalized. Search and rescue operations continued into the evening as more than 100 rescuers and 40 firefighting vehicles responded to the incident. The fire was fully extinguished by 22:00 local time.
Video footage from the scene showed bright sparks shooting from smoldering rubble as emergency personnel worked to contain the blaze. The village of Kubrinsk was disconnected from the power grid during response efforts, and local businesses were closed.
Russian authorities opened a criminal case under Article 217, Part 3 of the Russian Criminal Code, which addresses violations of safety requirements at hazardous production facilities resulting in negligent deaths of two or more persons. Investigators suggested the fire may have been caused by a safety violation, though other causes remain under investigation. Officials did not provide details regarding the specific safety breaches being examined.
Mikhail Yevrayev, governor of the Yaroslavl Region, announced a day of mourning for September 30 and declared a state of emergency in the Pereslavl-Zalessky municipal district. Regional authorities said assistance would be provided to the families of those killed.