A large fire broke out on April 1 at one of Russia’s largest heavy machinery factories in Yekaterinburg, a city east of the Urals.
Several videos and pictures showing a thick plume of black smoke rising from the area have been shared on social media and Russian Telegram channels.
The smoke could be seen from as far as the city centre, according to Russian news outlet E1.ru.
The flames reportedly spread to the point of covering a massive area of 48,437 square miles.
The fire prompted the collapse of the roof at one of the workshops on the site, which contained 24 cylinders of flammable oxygen and propane gas, according to the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations.
Following reports of the blaze, firefighters rushed to the area, with 52 rescuers and 17 units of special equipment working to bring the flames under control, the ministry added.
The fire was contained and extinguished later in the afternoon.
Workers were evacuated from the site, and there were no immediate reports of casualties.
The facility affected by the blaze is believed to be Uralmash, which produces equipment for mining, metal works, the cement industry and energy facilities including nuclear power plants.
However, most details about the incident are still shrouded in mystery, with Russia’s state news agency RIA quoting the factory’s management as saying that the building on fire did not belong to the company despite being located on its territory.
Russian officials didn’t immediately shed a light on the cause of the blaze.
Pro-Ukrainian news outlet NEXTA claimed eyewitnesses had reported that “something first exploded” before the smoke started pouring out of the building.
Anton Gerashchenko, a former adviser to Ukraine’s minister of internal affairs, claimed on social media platform X that the factory “is involved in Russian defence industry”.
Maria Drutska, who works in Ukrainian foreign affairs, also wrote on social media that, during wartime, a similar factory can be “reprofiled for the production of military products”.
