Gas complex fire in Russia's Amur region kills seven, 9 Chinese workers missing
At least seven people have died, including six Chinese nationals, and nine others are reported missing after a fire broke out at a gas chemical complex in Russia's far eastern Amur region, the plant said on Wednesday.
The fire, which started on Tuesday, was later extinguished, according to the company operating the facility. A total of 152 people were treated for injuries, with 36 of them rushed to hospitals. An emergency services aircraft has been dispatched to transport the injured to other medical facilities in Russia.
The Amur Gas Chemical Complex, a joint project between Russian company Sibur and Chinese oil and gas firm Sinopec, is described as one of the world's largest producers of polyethylene and polypropylene. The facility has not yet begun operations and was in the process of preparing for production start.
Russia often relies on foreign labour, including workers from China, for the construction of large industrial and infrastructure projects. The incident is being investigated by Russia's Investigative Committee as a potential breach of industrial safety regulations, and authorities are working to establish the cause of the fire.
Once operational, the complex is expected to produce 2.3 million metric tonnes of polyethylene and 400,000 tonnes of polypropylene annually.
