A severe explosion tore through the JSC Elastik explosives plant in the Shilovsky district of Russia’s Ryazan region on Friday morning, obliterating a gunpowder workshop, according to Russian state media reports. Regional authorities said three workers were killed and about 20 others were injured, five of them critically. All the injured have been transferred to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment. Emergency services have cordoned off the site and launched an investigation to determine the cause of the blast, which occurred during regular operations at the facility. The plant manufactures gunpowder and other explosive materials used in ammunition production.