A fire occurred at the Tambov powder plant in Kotovsk on the night of November 11, the regional department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported.
The Ministry of Emergency Situations writes that a “separate” one-story brick building caught fire on the territory of the enterprise; a message about this was received by the duty department at 0:22 Moscow time. The fire area was 300 square meters.
“The fire was promptly extinguished by fire departments. There were no dead or injured,” adds the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The department is clarifying the cause of the fire. Telegram channels Baza, Astra and Shot published photographs and videos taken by residents of Kotovsk. According to eyewitnesses, they heard explosions before the fire.
At the beginning of 2023, the Tambov Powder Plant was transferred to the Rostec state corporation. In June, an explosion occurred at the enterprise, which killed five people and injured 14 others. “The cause of the fire is the human factor. I unequivocally declare that this is not a terrorist attack,” said the region’s governor, Maxim Egorov, at the time. He estimated the fire area at one square meter.
Founded in 1915, the Tambov Powder Plant is one of Russia’s largest producers of gunpowder for all types of weapons and artillery systems in service with the ground forces, navy and aviation, it is said on his website.
The plant also produces civilian products – varnishes, enamels, medical gloves and tumbler dolls. As Kommersant noted, in January-July 2022 the company increased production by 34%. In total, the plant employs 1.8 thousand people; by 2025, the staff is planned to be increased to 5 thousand employees.
In the Perm region on October 31, an explosion occurred at the Ural plant in Solikamsk, where gunpowder for automatic small arms and explosives are produced. The company is part of the Spetskhimiya concern of the Rostec state corporation.