Explosion and fire at factory in Russia kill 24 people, injure over 150

A fire and explosion at the Elastik industrial plant in Russia’s Ryazan region killed 24 people and injured at least 157, officials said Monday. The blaze, which broke out in a gunpowder workshop, reduced parts of the facility to rubble and triggered ongoing rescue operations. Authorities declared a day of mourning and opened a criminal case into industrial safety violations, ruling out a Ukrainian attack, CBS News has reported. The plant, which has a history of safety issues, suffered a deadly blast in 2021 that killed 17 people.