ST. PETERSBURG, October 19. /TASS/. Rescuers do not rule out that more people may still remain under the debris following an explosion at a pyrotechnical devices plant near St. Petersburg, Yevgeny Deineka, chief of the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s department for St. Petersburg and Leningrad region, said on Friday.

"According to our information, more people may still be under the debris," he said.

The explosion rocked the Avangard plant in the city of Gatchina, Leningrad region, at about 4:35pm Moscow time. "The blast affected two buildings. According to preliminary information, they were pyrotechnical mixtures and pyrotechnical devices shops. Two women were saved by rescuers. They were taken to hospital. Later on, rescuers found the body of a man," he said, adding that the rescue operation involving specialists with dogs continues.

A spokesman for the Russian Emergencies Ministry said earlier two persons had been killed in the explosion and five more had been taken to hospital.

Fyodor Polshin, a spokesman for the ministry’s Northwestern department, told TASS the blast had destroyed 30% of the plant’s building.

According to preliminary information, the blast was caused by a breakdown in the technological process or safety violation.

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the Gatchina hospital told TASS that four people, including a 14-year-old girl, were taken to hospital after the explosion, two of them in serious condition.

"Four people are in the hospital. Two of them are in serious condition. The teenage girl of 14 was hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning. She is now all right. Initially, six people were hospitalized. Two of them have been released," said Elena Karlash.

The blast left about 80 residential houses without electricity. By now, repair works are over and electricity supplies have been resumed.

Established in 1944 (Avangard plant since 2002), the plant specializes in the production of pyrotechnical devices and ironmongery. The plant employs more than 700 people.