Lab blast in Russian university leaves two dead

Shafaq News – Moscow

An explosion in a hydrodynamic testing system at Perm National Research Polytechnic University on Thursday killed a man and his eight-year-old daughter and injured several others, Russian media reported.

According to the Ministry of Territorial Security of Perm Krai, the man was the head of a local factory and had brought his daughter to observe the test. Three of the injured are employees of a local enterprise; two men, aged 64 and 37, are in stable condition with moderate injuries, while a fourth victim declined hospitalization.

The blast occurred during laboratory tests at the university’s space and aviation research facility when a turbine wheel inside the testing unit ruptured. The device broke loose from the hydrodynamic stand after a technical-procedure violation, sending fragments through protective structures.

The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case on charges of causing death by negligence, and the university has launched an internal review.