MOSCOW, July 29. /TASS/. Four inmates have been hospitalized with burns following an accident involving a gas cylinder in a correctional facility in Russia’s Volgograd Region, the press service of the regional directorate of Russia’s Investigative Committee said. The office of the regional prosecutor general has launched an investigation into the case.

TASS has gathered the key facts about the incident.

Circumstances

- The blast occurred at Penal Colony No 9 located in Volgograd’s Traktorozavodsky District.

- Preliminarily, the explosion of a gas cylinder followed by a fire took place during work in one of the utility blocks, in a storage area for construction materials.

- An inspection into the matter is being conducted, the regional directorate of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service said.

Casualties

- Four inmates have been hospitalized with burns of various degrees of severity, the Volgograd Region’s directorate of Russia’s Federal Penitentiary Service said.

- All four individuals are in stable condition.

- All of them were taken to one of the city hospitals.

Reaction by Prosecutor General’s Office

- Investigators are working on site.

- The inspection of workplace health and safety conditions by the territorial unit of the regional directorate of Russia’s Investigative Committee is underway.

- The inspection of the observance of the requirements of correctional legislation at Penal Colony No 9 has been launched, the press service of the regional Prosecutor General’s Office said.

- The regional Prosecutor General’s Office is also monitoring the inspection conducted by the regional directorate of Russia’s Investigative Committee.