27 Sep 2018 17:01

War-era shell explodes in workers' locker room at plant in St. Petersburg, 4 injured

ST. PETERSBURG. Sept 27 (Interfax) - An explosion has occurred in a workers' locker room at the Kulon Plant in St. Petersburg, the press service for the Emergency Situations Ministry's Main Directorate for St. Petersburg told Interfax on Thursday.

Four people injured by the blast were hospitalized, the source said.

"An explosion occurred in a metal box where personal belongings of one of the employees were kept in a workers' locker room on the territory of the Kulon Plant at 3 Professor Kachalov Street around noon. Four people were injured, no one was killed," the source said.

The Investigative Committee's St. Petersburg branch has launched an inquiry.

"According to tentative information, a Great Patriotic War-era shell brought by one of the injured persons exploded at the plant. The site is now being examined, and an investigation is underway. A procedural decision will be made on the basis of the inquiry," the press service said.

The press service for the regional branch of the Russian Federal Security Service told Interfax it does not currently have information that would make it possible to classify the incident as being within the agency's purview.

The press service for the Emergency Situations Ministry's St. Petersburg branch said the explosion in the city's Nevsky neighborhood did not cause considerable damage. "Emergency Situations Ministry units that went to the scene did not find any traces of a fire or damage," the agency said.

Kulon is a leading Russian developer and manufacturer of special and general-purpose passive electronic components, including ceramic capacitors.