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Russia tackles Siberia oil slick | Russia tackles Siberia oil slick |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Chemical pollution from Monday's explosion at Russia's largest hydro-electric power station has killed fish and spread down a major Siberian river. | Chemical pollution from Monday's explosion at Russia's largest hydro-electric power station has killed fish and spread down a major Siberian river. |
Russian officials say booms are being deployed on the Yenisei river to trap the transformer oil. Absorbents are being thrown from helicopters. | Russian officials say booms are being deployed on the Yenisei river to trap the transformer oil. Absorbents are being thrown from helicopters. |
In a stormy meeting with officials, relatives of the missing said they feared not being told the whole truth. | |
The blast killed as many as 76 people at the Sayano-Shushenskaya plant. | The blast killed as many as 76 people at the Sayano-Shushenskaya plant. |
The search for dozens of missing workers is continuing. | The search for dozens of missing workers is continuing. |
The number of confirmed dead stands at 14. | |
See graphic of stricken power station | See graphic of stricken power station |
The mayor of Abakan, Nikolay Bulakin, said drinking water was unaffected in the town of Abakan, because it was drawn from the Abakan river. | |
But he said said that environmental damage had already been done, and he had heard reports that many trout at fish farms had been poisoned. | |
At least 40 tonnes of transformer oil spilled into the Yenisei, which flows north to the Arctic. | |
Relatives' anger | |
In a tumultuous meeting with local officials, relatives of the missing men demanded to know what had gone wrong. | |
"They do not care what has happened to our men," shouted one, according to Reuters news agency. "We want to know the truth." | |
"The state and the owners just cared about profit," another relative said. | |
Others said they wanted to know if their relatives had died, but feared they were not being told. | |
The power plant, one of the world's biggest, lies some 3,000 km (1,875 miles) east of Moscow. It has now stopped working. | The power plant, one of the world's biggest, lies some 3,000 km (1,875 miles) east of Moscow. It has now stopped working. |
The dam is 245m (800ft) high and stretches 1km (0.6 miles) across the Yenisei river. | The dam is 245m (800ft) high and stretches 1km (0.6 miles) across the Yenisei river. |
The explosion flooded a turbine hall and destroyed three generating units. | The explosion flooded a turbine hall and destroyed three generating units. |
Divers are examining the debris in the hall and searching for bodies, in icy water. | Divers are examining the debris in the hall and searching for bodies, in icy water. |
Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said it would take at least a week to assess damage in the flooded hall. | Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu said it would take at least a week to assess damage in the flooded hall. |
The blast's cause is unknown but reports said investigators believed a transformer exploded during repairs. | The blast's cause is unknown but reports said investigators believed a transformer exploded during repairs. |
The plant's owner said the flooding had occurred due to a pressure surge in water pipes. | The plant's owner said the flooding had occurred due to a pressure surge in water pipes. |
Wednesday is an official day of mourning in the remote mountain region of Khakassia where the plant is located. | Wednesday is an official day of mourning in the remote mountain region of Khakassia where the plant is located. |
RusHydro said the damage would run into "billions of roubles" and take several months to repair. | RusHydro said the damage would run into "billions of roubles" and take several months to repair. |
Mr Shoigu said repairing the turbine hall alone could cost 40bn roubles ($1.3bn; £762m). | Mr Shoigu said repairing the turbine hall alone could cost 40bn roubles ($1.3bn; £762m). |
But he said it would still be worth doing the repairs, because the dam - undamaged by the blast - had accounted for 80% of the construction cost. | But he said it would still be worth doing the repairs, because the dam - undamaged by the blast - had accounted for 80% of the construction cost. |
Opened in 1978, the station provides a quarter of RusHydro output and is a major power supplier 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 power supplier to at least two smelters owned by United Company RUSAL, the world's largest aluminium producer. |
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