An explosion at an ammunition depot in the western Russian region of Vladimir injured at least four people today, the military said, attributing the accident to a fire caused by a failure to comply with safety regulations.
"Due to a fire within the perimeter of a military base in the Vladimir region, ammunition stored in the warehouse detonated," the Russian Defense Ministry said via Telegram.
"According to preliminary information ... the cause of the fire was a violation of safety regulations while working with explosive materials," the statement added.
The Ministry of Defense added that firefighters from the military and the Ministry of Emergency Situations were sent to the scene of the accident, but did not give their exact location.
The Vladimir region prosecutor's office separately said an explosion had occurred near the town of Barsovo, about 80 kilometers northeast of Moscow, while the regional governor declared a state of emergency in Kirzhach district, where Barsovo is located.
Regional governor Alexander Avdeev said on his Telegram account that four people were injured in the incident, two of whom were taken to hospital.
He said that about 450 people had been evacuated from nearby towns and that a state of emergency had been declared in Kirzhach district, where Barsovo is located.
Unverified videos from the scene of the accident posted on social media show a huge fireball rising with a loud detonation followed by smoke.
The Russian Defense Ministry announced that a commission had been formed to investigate the causes of the incident and said that officials who made mistakes would be tried.
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