At least three people were seriously injured after an explosion at the Soprema plant in the commune of Saint-Julien-du-Verdone in eastern France, Sputnik said, citing a France Info report. The personnel at the factory had extinguished the fire, which reportedly followed the blast, before fire brigades arrived, according to the local prefecture. The workers were evacuated, and a security zone was set up around the plant. The incident occurred during a scheduled maintenance check at the storage facility of one of the chemical units BFM television said. The plant manufactures sealing materials.