A series of powerful explosions followed by a fire at the Plastmass plant in Kopeysk on the evening of October 22 left at least 10 people dead. According to the authorities, 19 people were injured, and by the morning of October 23, 12 workers were still being searched for under the rubble.
The enterprise is located in Kopeysk, about 15 kilometers from Chelyabinsk. Officials did not formally name the site where the accident occurred, but local media outlets and Telegram channels reported that it was the Plastmass plant, part of Techodinamika, a holding within the state corporation Rostec. The plant manufactures munitions and explosives.
During the night of October 23, another explosion occurred at the seat of the fire. The blast wave shattered windows in some apartments. Relatives of workers gathered at the factory entrance, while ambulances and other emergency services arrived at the scene.
Chelyabinsk region governor Aleksei Teksler said that by 10 a.m., the deaths of 10 people had been confirmed. According to him, five of the injured were hospitalized in serious condition, while 14 others were receiving outpatient treatment. He also said the fire had been extinguished.
“The investigation is underway, and all the circumstances of the tragedy will be established. I want to stress once again: this is not a UAV attack,” Teksler said.
October 24 was declared a day of mourning in the Chelyabinsk region, and a municipal state of emergency was introduced in the Kopeysk urban district. Russia’s Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Part 3 of Article 217 of the Criminal Code, covering safety violations resulting in the negligent deaths of two or more people. Investigators said the explosion occurred in a workshop because of safety breaches in the production process.
Witnesses said they heard several explosions at about 11:50 p.m., with houses, windows, and doors shaking from the blast wave. Residents of both Kopeysk and Chelyabinsk described heavy vibrations, smoke, and flashes; some initially suspected a drone attack, but the authorities said that version had not been confirmed.