A fire caused by an explosion at a gunpowder workshop has killed at least 16 people in Russia's Ryazan region.
Local media reports, citing sources at regional law enforcement and emergency services, said that the explosion at a gunpowder workshop of the Elastik synthetic-fibers plant occurred early in the morning on October 22.
According to the local authorities, there were 17 people in the workshop when the blast hit the building.
Firefighters and rescue teams are working at the site.
The deputy governor of the Ryazan region, Dmitry Filippov, and acting Emergency Situations Minister Aleksandr Chuprian have also arrived at the scene, local media reported.
The Emergency Situations Ministry said that a "violation of the technology process" may have caused the explosion.
The Investigative Committee said it had launched a probe into the deadly explosion and fire.
