Huge Explosion at Military-Linked Factory Rocks Russian Capital

An explosion at a factory linked to Russia's military complex has sent a mushroom cloud into the sky in the Moscow region.

The blast at the Zagorsk optical mechanical plant in the city of Sergiev Posad around 45 miles northeast of the Russian capital took place at around 10:45 a.m. local time (3:45 a.m. ET) Wednesday.

The plant, which was founded in 1935, is referred to as "ZOMZ," and produces night-vision devices and binoculars for the Russian military as part of the country's defense conglomerate Rostec.

Social media users shared dramatic footage of smoke billowing into the sky, filmed from different parts of the city.

The administration in the city ordered all plant buildings and workshops to be evacuated and said that a lot of windows in the area had been blown out.

Russian media reported that a warehouse had been destroyed and a fire was blazing at the site over an area of 500 square feet.

The governor of the Moscow Region, Andrey Vorobyov, said that at least 49 people were injured. Russia's Health Ministry said that three people had been pulled from under rubble and were in a serious condition.

https://www.newsweek.com/russia-blast-explosion-moscow-factory-1818486