MOSCOW, Oct 18 (Reuters) – Three people were killed and five injured in a blast at the Avangard explosives plant in the city of Sterlitamak, Bashkortostan region, regional governor Radiy Khabirov said on Saturday via his Telegram channel. The explosion at the plant occurred on Friday evening. Forensic experts are investigating the cause of the blast, Khabirov said, denying that it was caused by Ukrainian drone strikes. The emergency services said on Saturday that they had completed search and rescue operations at the Sterlitamak plant, which had continued throughout the night. The Avangard plant manufactures industrial explosives and dismantles ammunition. Since 2022, the plant has been controlled by the Russian state industrial conglomerate Rostec. (Reporting by Reuters; Editing by Sharon Singleton)
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