Russia, September 29: TASS news agency reported today, September 29, that the death toll from the fire at a fireworks factory near the town of Pereslavl-Zalessky in Russia's Yaroslavl province on September 28 has risen to 14.
"The death toll in the fire at a fireworks factory in Yaroslavl province has risen to 14, and one person was injured," TASS quoted a statement from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations .
A spokesperson for the local emergency response agency said there were a total of 15 people inside the factory when the fire broke out. One person is being treated at the hospital and the fire has been extinguished.
Earlier, Yaroslavl Governor Mikhail Evrayev announced on the Telegram messaging app that 10 deaths had been confirmed and that search and rescue operations would continue throughout the night.
The fire engulfed two buildings in the village of Kubrinsk, near the town of Pereslavl-Zalessky. Evrayev added that approximately 200 rescue workers had been deployed to the scene, according to Reuters.
A spokesperson for the local emergency response agency said the fire destroyed the two buildings. The spokesperson also stated that the fire may have originated from a breach of safety regulations, and that "other causes of the fire are under investigation."
The regional prosecutor's office said it has opened an investigation into violations of industrial safety regulations following the fireworks factory fire.
Deadly fires are common in Russia, and officials attribute them to lax safety standards, according to AFP.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper