Rubble cleared from explosion site in Russia's Sergiyev Posad, 8 people still missing

MOSCOW

Russian authorities announced on Friday that the entire rubble from an optical plant explosion site in Moscow's suburbs has been cleared, but that eight people remained missing.

The fate of the eight people remains unknown after the completion of rubble clearing work, while four people who were previously listed as missing have been found, the emergency services of Sergiyev Posad, 74 kilometers (46 miles) northeast of Moscow said.

The powerful explosion on Wednesday damaged 38 apartment buildings, Governor Andrey Vorobyov stated on Telegram.

The Russian Health Ministry confirmed one person died and 80 others were injured in the explosion.

Following the incident, the Russian Investigative Committee opened a criminal investigation, suspecting equipment malfunction in the plant's boiler room as one of the possible causes of the explosion.