A massive explosion at the Zagorsk Optical and Mechanical Plant near Moscow, Russia left three dead and 56 people injured, six of which are in intensive care.


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Though the cause of the Wednesday morning blast is still unclear, some speculating on whether the explosion was connected to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine War, one thing is certain: The before and after one for the ages.


After plumes of thick, black smoke shot from the top of the factory, which was once “a producer of precision optical equipment for the military” per a 1995 report from the U.S. Department of Commerce, the dust eventually settled, leveling the building into a pile of charred scrap wood and metal.



“Hot damn,” wrote Twitter user @akwtenn alongside a clip of the singed wreckage.


“That was one epic cigarette,” joked @IrishNAFO.


So take it from this terrifying incident — keep your flames away from wood, no matter how badass the resulting blast may appear.