The fire broke out Friday (August 15) at the Elastik plant in Shilovsky district, around 250 kilometres (155 miles) southeast of Moscow. Emergency crews continued searching through debris, Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said.

State news agency RIA Novosti has reported that a gunpowder workshop at the facility caught fire and triggered an explosion. Images released by officials show some of the building reduced to rubble.

Investigators are looking into the cause of the fire.

Local authorities declared Monday (August 18) a day of mourning in Ryazan.

This was the second deadly incident at the Elastik plant in recent years. In October 2021, 17 people were killed in a blast at a workshop operated by explosives manufacturer Razryad, according to news agency Interfax.