At Least 79 People Injured in Explosion At Military Plant in Russia

At least 79 people were injured and around 180 homes damaged after an explosion at a bomb-making factory in Dzerzhinsk, Russia.

Officials with the Russian city say the factory was used to produce and store high-explosive bombs for the military, the BBC reported. A processing facility at the JSC Kristall Research Institute plant was completely destroyed by the blast.

At least 38 of the injured worked at the explosives plant, while the other 41 injured were local residents. At least 15 people are still in the hospital with at least one person suffering from severe injuries. Local authorities declared a state of emergency in Dzerzhinsk and three other towns in the area. Five people were working at the factory at the time, but everyone got out safely, according to reports.

Most of the injuries were cuts from flying glass from the explosion, authorities said. A shockwave generated by the explosion smashed windows in homes and factories in the city.

"According to the latest information, 79 people asked for medical help after the explosion at Kristall: 38 factory workers and 41 residents of the city. There are no children among the injured," a local health ministry statement stated.

Residents in the area posted dramatic photos of an enormous mushroom cloud above the blast.

Officials said the blast was a "technical explosion" in one of the workshops.