4 Killed From Blast at Gunpowder Plant in Russia

Four people were killed and 12 injured after a fire and explosion at a gunpowder plant in the central Tambov region of Russia on Tuesday morning, state news agencies reported. That is 250 miles southeast of Moscow.

Earlier in the day, a fire started in the building of a gunpowder factory in Kotovsk, covering an area of one square meter.

The emergency services said that they received a report about an explosion in the building at 11:10 GMT. 

Maxim Yegorov, the head of the Tambov Region, told reporters earlier that the alleged incident at the plant was caused by human error.

"An explosion was reported at the gunpowder manufacturing plant in Tambov today and it resulted in a fire," Yegorov said. "I have cut my work trip across the region short and immediately departed to the scene of the incident."

Earlier reports indicated that two people were injured and four died.

"According to updated information, the number of victims at the gunpowder factory in Kotovsk increased to 16 people, four of them died," emergency services said to news agencies.