On the morning of August 19, an explosion shook the Sterlitamak Petrochemical Plant in Russia's Bashkortostan Republic.
The explosion and subsequent fire injured at least three people, according to local authorities and the Kyiv Independent.
The plant is located in the city of Sterlitamak, which has a population of 279,000 and is approximately 1,700 kilometers (1,054 miles) from the Ukrainian border.
The explosion was triggered by a liquefied gas fire. Emergency crews are still battling the fire, according to Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry.
As of this report, there is no evidence of external interference in the incident.
This incident follows an earlier explosion in August at the state-owned Rostec Avangard military manufacturing plant, also in Sterlitamak.
That incident occurred after a repair crew dismantled a pipeline in one of the workshops, resulting in the deaths of three factory workers.
The Russian Investigative Committee has suggested that the workers may have violated safety guidelines when cutting the pipes. The plant is reportedly involved in the production of parts for multiple launch rocket systems.
