A general view of rising smoke, after Russian air defences knocked down a Ukrainian drone, in Moscow, Russia August 11, 2023, in this screen grab taken from a social media video. Ostorozhno Novosti/via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES.
On Friday, Russian officials declared that the debris resulting from an explosion at an optical plant on the outskirts of Moscow had been completely removed. However, they also noted that eight individuals were still unaccounted for.
The fate of the eight people remains unknown after the completion of rubble clearing work, while four people who were previously listed as missing have been found, the emergency services of Sergiyev Posad, 74 kilometers (46 miles) northeast of Moscow said.
The powerful explosion on Wednesday damaged 38 apartment buildings, Governor Andrey Vorobyov stated on Telegram.
The Russian Health Ministry confirmed one person died and 80 others were injured in the explosion.
Following the incident, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation, suspecting equipment malfunction in the plant’s boiler room as one of the possible causes of the explosion.
