At least 14 people died in a blaze at a fireworks factory in central Russia earlier Monday, Russian state media reported, citing emergency services.

Video published by state-owned broadcaster RT appeared to show bright sparks shooting out of a smouldering pile of rubble.

“The death count from a fire at a fireworks factory in the Yaroslavl region has risen to 14, with one person injured,” the state TASS news agency reported, citing Russia’s emergency ministry.

The incident took place in the village of Kubrinsk, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) north of Moscow, TASS said.

Deadly fires in Russia are common and officials often attribute them to lax safety standards.

The region’s prosecution service said it had opened an investigation into violations of industrial safety rules.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)