Moscow Explosion Kills at Least 60 as Officials Continue Rescue Operations

A massive explosion at an industrial plant in Moscow has resulted in at least 60 deaths, while eight are still unaccounted for on Wednesday.

Officials said that the incident happened at Zagorsk Optical and Mechanical Plant, which was located in the town of Sergiev Posad. The industrial plant develops and manufactures optical and optoelectronic devices for the Russian military, law enforcement agencies, industry, and healthcare.

Massive Moscow Explosion

In the fours after the blast, Russian state news agency TASS reported that the explosion's origin was found to be a pyrotechnics warehouse rented by a third company on the site of the Zagorsk Optical and Mechanical Plant.

Rescue teams in the area continued to work on Wednesday after concerns were raised about more people being buried under the rubble. In a statement, the region governor, Andrei Vorobyov, said that rescuers would need roughly 12 hours to clear the rubble, as per CNN.

In an interview, the governor said that authorities were sure the explosion was powerful and originated in the pyrotechnics workshop. One eyewitness, identified simply as Nikolai, said there was previously a munition factory at the site before it was sold and turned into the workshop.

He said the previous company went bankrupt and added that he needed to find out who worked there and what they did at the site. The country's Investigative Committee has opened a criminal investigation into the tragic incident.

An Investigative Committee representative said they had not found evidence that a drone struck the plant. They added that officials were still looking into the cause of the explosion. The statement refers to Ukraine launching a series of drones in Moscow in the past few weeks.

Possible Violation of Technological Processes

On top of the fatalities, six people were put into intensive care over injuries they sustained from the blast. According to NBC News, video footage of the blast that was geolocated showed a massive smoke mushroom rising over the plant.

Nearby residents who recorded videos and posted them to social media showed the moment that a massive, fiery blast took place behind a parking lot. The Investigative Committee's probe cites a potential violation of industrial safety requirements for hazardous production facilities.

Locals nearby had their windows shattered by the blast, and Vorobyov added that the explosion partially damaged a nearby sports complex. Local deputy Sergey Pakhomov said that there is a possible "violation of technological processes" that resulted in the blast.

The situation comes as Russia has been experiencing several drone attacks it claimed were conducted by Ukraine. Authorities said that the country was able to shoot down two drones near the capital on Wednesday.

Russia's Ministry of Defense reported that there had been 12 drones that targeted Moscow in the last few weeks. However, the New York Times said the claims of attacks and their interceptions could not be independently verified.