Explosion Occurs, Fire Breaks Out At Large Thermal Power Plant In Russia

Lots of casualties.

On March 6 in Russia, an explosion occurred at the Shanogarskaya CHPP in the Tyva Republic. After it, a powerful fire broke out at the facility.

This is reported by the Ukrainian media.

According to them, a lot of people were injured as a result of the incident: as of 6 a.m. Minsk time, the figures ranging from 10 to more than 20 people were voiced.

The fact of the explosion and the subsequent fire is confirmed by Tyva Governor Vladislav Khovalyg.

"We are investigating the causes of the emergency at the Shagonarskaya CHPP. There are no fatalities, but we know about 10 injured. They are hospitalised. Operational services are working on the site, the building is cordoned off. I'm leaving for Shagonar. We are creating an operational headquarters, which will include the leadership of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Rosgvardia, regional ministries of health, Ministry of Housing and Utilities, Ministry of Fuel and Energy, the Service of Civil Defence and Emergency Situations. We will mobilise emergency teams to eliminate the consequences," he wrote at 05:19 Minsk time.

Russian media are not sure where exactly the fire broke out. While some of them write that the fire "presumably broke out in the boiler room," others claim that the epicentre of the fire was the central premises of the 'UK TEK 4' company, which maintains the facility.

It is also not known what caused the fire.

Official reports on the incident were limited to the wording of "there occurred a fire with smoke" (this is how the region's Ministry of Emergency Situations characterised the incident).

As of 6 a.m., the Russian media were reporting an increase in the number of injured. At the same time, the data varies.

Thus, one of the Russian media claimed that 16 people were injured, and there may still be people under the rubble of the building where the explosion was heard.

Another publication wrote that "the number of injured has increased to 18, six of them are in intensive care in serious condition.

A third media outlet, on the other hand, claimed that more than 20 people suffered various injuries. Most of them suffered from carbon monoxide or burns. 17 victims were hospitalised. This resource also wrote that there may be people under the rubble.

As of 7 am Minsk time Khovalyg confirmed 18 victims.

"The fire at the Shagonarskaya CHPP has been localised. At the moment 18 people have been hospitalised. Six are in a serious condition. 9 are in a condition of medium severity. Three more are in a satisfactory condition. All the injured are now being transported to republican hospitals in Kyzyl. Twenty-one employees were on shift at the CHPP. The search for the remaining three is underway," the governor wrote.

The local Ministry of Health announced that a team of doctors had been sent to the scene, including anaesthesiologists and resuscitators, among others.