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Deadly Russia power plant blast Deadly Russia power plant blast
(about 2 hours later)
At least 54 people are missing after an explosion at Russia's largest hydro-electric power station killed eight workers, investigators say. At least 54 people are missing after an explosion at Russia's largest hydro-electric power station killed eight workers, officials have said.
The accident at the Sayano-Shushenskaya power station in Siberia happened when an oil-filled transformer exploded in a turbine hall, they added. An oil-filled transformer exploded at the Sayano-Shushenskaya plant in Siberia, bringing down the ceiling of the turbine hall, which then flooded.
This damaged the wall and ceiling of the turbine hall which then flooded. A diver has pulled one worker from an area beneath the turbine hall, but it is unclear how many may be trapped.
At least 10 other workers were injured and production at the plant has been halted as an investigation continues. Ten workers were injured, but there was no damage to the power station's dam.
"The explosion ruined a wall and ceiling of the machine room housing turbines," Vladimir Markin, spokesman for the special commission investigating the incident, was quoted as telling Russia's Itar-Tass news agency. At the moment we cannot determine whether these people were down there or managed to get out somewhere but we know that there were that many people on this shift Andrei KlyuvevMinistry of Emergency Situations
Although there were reports of a large oil slick moving down the Yenisei river on which the power station sits, officials said towns downstream of the plant were not at risk. However, the accident has created a large oil slick that is now floating down the Yenisei river, which flows north through Siberia to the Arctic.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu and Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko to fly to the scene and take personal control of the crisis, the Kremlin said. Officials said towns downstream of the plant were not thought to be at risk.
Lengthy repairs Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has ordered Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu and Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko to fly to the scene and take personal control of the crisis.
Rescue divers had managed to pull one person from a room underneath the plant's main turbine hall which flooded after an apparent cave-in, officials were quoted as saying. RusHydro, the operator of the power station, said the damage would run into "billions of roubles" and would take several months to repair.
'Hydraulic impact'
In a statement, the Kremlin said the accident was due to a "hydraulic impact" at the plant on Monday morning, which had forced the shutdown of all 10 of its power units.
Andrei Klyuvev, an official at the emergency situations ministry, said rescue divers had pulled out one person from a flooded room underneath the turbine hall, but said many more could be trapped.
Footage from the Sayano-Shushenskaya power stationFootage from the Sayano-Shushenskaya power station
But 12 hours after the blast, the fate of scores of missing workers was still unknown. "At the moment we cannot determine whether these people were down there or managed to get out somewhere but we know that there were that many people on this shift," he told Ekho Moskvy radio.
"At the moment we cannot determine whether these people were down there or managed to get out somewhere," regional official Andrei Klyuyev told Echo of Moscow radio station. Water was currently being pumped out of the turbine room, and there was "no danger of the accident developing further", a local official co-ordinating the rescue operation, Roman Strelnikov, told the Associated Press.
"But we know that there were that many people on this shift." The natural resources ministry said it was concerned by the environmental impact of the accident, which had caused a 5km (3 mile) oil slick along the Yenisei river.
The accident forced the shutdown of all 10 of the station's power units and caused major power disruption in Siberia. "According to preliminary data, transformer fluid has leaked from one of the hydroelectric station's damaged units," the ministry said.
Russia's emergencies ministry said it would take several years to restore pipes ruptured in the incident. Mr Shoigu said repairs would be difficult and take some time.
"I believe that it will take years not months to repair three of the 10 units," Mr Shoigu was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass. "We're probably talking about years rather than months to restore three of the 10 turbines," he told state television.
Major supplier Major power supplier
Major aluminium plants nearby were forced to switch to alternative sources of electricity after the accident.Major aluminium plants nearby were forced to switch to alternative sources of electricity after the accident.
Monday morning's blast prompted shares of the plant's owner - Russian hydroelectric power giant RusHydro - to drop by more than 10%, leading to a suspension of trading on the London Stock Exchange. It also prompted shares of the plant's owner, RusHydro, to drop by more than 13% on the London Stock Exchange, while trading was suspended in Moscow.
The Sayano-Shushenskaya power station is located in the Siberian region of Khakassia, some 1,875 miles (3,000 km) east of Moscow, and owned by RusHydro, the hydroelectric power giant. The Sayano-Shushenskaya power station is located in the Siberian region of Khakassia, some 3,000 km (1,875 miles) east of Moscow.
The dam above it is 245m (800ft) high and stretches 1km (0.6 miles) across the Yenisei river.
Opened in 1978, the station provides a quarter of RusHydro output and is a major supplier of power to at least two smelters owned by United Company RUSAL, the world's largest aluminium producer.Opened in 1978, the station provides a quarter of RusHydro output and is a major supplier of power to at least two smelters owned by United Company RUSAL, the world's largest aluminium producer.
UC RUSAL said all its plants were operating as normal with alternative power supplies.UC RUSAL said all its plants were operating as normal with alternative power supplies.