It took Sverdlovsk firefighters nearly 20 hours to extinguish a fire at a major defense plant.

Firefighters are still doing well failed determine the cause of the fire in the building NPO Avtomatiki, which manufactures control systems and electronic equipment for rocket and space technology.

Fire in an 8-story building housing a chemical production facility has begun Yesterday. Workers were evacuated before the roof and walls collapsed.

Initially, it was reported that the fire broke out during welding work. However, later, the company's general director, Mikhail Izyumov, saidthat the fire started after the end of the working day, when no work was being carried out.

The fire destroyed 800 square meters. The smell of burning plastic could be felt several kilometers away from the plant, and acrid smoke filled half the area. Ekaterinburg.