Death toll in Russian factory fire rises to 24

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MOSCOW (AP) — The death toll from last week's fire at an industrial plant in Russia’s Ryazan region has risen to 24, with at least another 157 people injured, officials said Monday.

The fire broke out Friday at the Elastik plant in Shilovsky district, around 250 kilometers (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 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.

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This version removes the inaccurate description of Interfax as a state news agency.