MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/. Fifty-two people have sought medical assistance after an explosion at a fireworks warehouse in Sergiyev Posad outside Moscow, Andrey Vorobyev, Governor of the Moscow Region, said in a televised interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.
"First, we visited the intensive care unit where there were five people and another one had just been admitted. Four are in grave [condition], and the doctors are fighting to save the lives of the other two. Eight more are in the hospital with either burns or broken bones. Their lives are not in danger," he said. "As of now, 52 people have sought medical assistance."
According to the governor, specialists are screening the injured people, finding out who needs specialized treatment. Law enforcement bodies are looking into the circumstances of the incident.
"The explosion was very powerful. The rubble is rather substantial, so it will take at least 12-14 hours to clear it up," Vorobyev said.
The Moscow Region governor said that there could be people under the rubble, but there is no information about the exact number yet. Nearby buildings were also damaged by the blast,
"It is clear that we, together with [utilities] management companies will help with repairs," the governor said.
An explosion at a fireworks warehouse owned by the Piro-ross company rocked the city of Sergiyev Posad, some 70 kilometers northeast of Moscow. The warehouse is next door to the Zagorsk Optical-Mechanical Plant, but not part of it. The shockwave shattered the glazing in apartment buildings and public establishments in two neighboring streets.
Rescue teams are removing the rubble. Criminal charges in connection with industrial safety violations have been filed by the Investigative Committee.