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Number of injured in Dzerzhinsk blasts climbs to 82

Earlier, 79 people were reported injured

© Mikhail Solunin/TASS

MOSCOW, June 1. /TASS/. /TASS/. The number of those injured in the blasts, which rocked the Kristall explosives plant in the city of Dzerzhinsk in Russia’s Nizhny Novgorod region on Saturday, has increased to 82, while 15 of them are in hospitals, the regional health ministry told TASS.

Earlier, 79 people were reported injured.

"Update as of 20.00 Moscow time: overall, 82 people sought medical help. Among them are 39 staffers of the plant. In addition, 15 people are in hospitals (14 are in satisfactory condition and one is in critical but stable condition). Also, 67 are being treated at outpatient clinics. There are no children [among the injured people]," the press service said.

On Saturday, several blasts rocked the workshop producing TNT during a technological process. The blasts started a fire which was later extinguished. An emergency was declared in the city and nearby settlements. The Russian Investigative Committee said that the blasts were industrial. The accident is being investigated as a violation of industrial safety requirements at hazardous production facilities.

The Kristall state-run scientific institute was founded in the 1950s. It produces explosives and develops technology for their safe production, tests, transportation and disposal. In 2011, the plant became part of the Russian state corporation Rostec.

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