The 1917 Kazan Gunpowder Plant fire began on 14 August 1917 in the city of Kazan, which was then center of governorate within the Russian Empire, destroying the plant and spreading panic in the city on 14–16 August, and it lasted at least until 24 August. Fire resulted in minor detonations of the shells in depots, scattered over the industrial part of the city. However, most of the explosives were flooded by water from emergency reservoirs; that prevented a major explosion. Thirteen were killed by the blast and fire, 8 died of wounds, and 172, including 30 children were injured. The fire destroyed 12,000 machine guns and one million shells in depots (78,500 poods), and 542 buildings were destroyed, 152 of them totally. In addition, 1.8 million poods (29.5 tonnes) of oil were lost to the fire.
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