Russian authorities said that four people were killed and others injured Tuesday in an explosion at a gunpowder factory in central Russia, speaking of an accident.

Russian news agencies quoted the local branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry as saying, "An explosion occurred in the building of a gunpowder production plant in Tambov," a town about 400 kilometers southeast of Moscow.

"At the moment we have information about four dead and wounded" in the blast, she added.
According to the governor of the Tambov region, Maxim Egorov, the explosion that caused a fire was quickly brought under control, caused by a "human factor".

"I can state unequivocally that this is not an assault," he wrote on Telegram, as there have been several drone attacks and acts of vandalism in Russia since the offensive began in Ukraine in 2022.
"Unfortunately, there are dead," he added, without giving an exact toll.

"There is no threat to the factory workers or to the residents of the surrounding areas," he said, adding that the factory was operating "normally... and production has not been suspended."

With the conflict in Ukraine, weapons and ammunition production plants are operating at full capacity in Russia.
Accidents regularly occur in Russian factories due to poor compliance with safety rules and the aging of some facilities.