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13 dead, 61 missing in Siberia plant explosion
[August 19, 2009] MOSCOW (AP) -- Rescue workers found a body Wednesday in the destroyed engine room of Russia's largest hydroelectric plant, raising the accident's death toll to 13, an emergency official said.
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Sixty-one other workers are still missing at the massive Sayano-Shushenskaya power station in southern Siberia after an explosion Monday blew out walls and caused the turbine room to flood. Three of the plant's 10 turbines were destroyed, and three were damaged, the plant's owner said. The giant plant has been idle since. Divers continued to scour the near-freezing waters that flooded the plant for the missing workers but officials said Tuesday there is little chance of finding any of them alive. The Emergency Situations Ministry on Wednesday corrected the list of missing from 64 to 61, saying two people had erroneously been listed. The accident has resulted in power shortages in several towns and major factories. Supplies from other power plants were being rerouted to help cover the region's shortfall but it is still unclear how long other power plants will be able to make up for the energy shortage. Russian media say the plant provides 10 percent of Siberia's energy needs. Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said Wednesday that 40 billion rubles ($1.2 billion) would be required to restore the power plant's engine room. The accident also produced an oil slick that by Wednesday stretched over 60 miles (100 kilometers) down the Yenisei River. Crews have been working for two days to stop it but the slick is still not contained. |
