Little hope of survivors in Russian power plant blast (1st Lead)

Aug 18, 2009, 7:29 GMT

   Moscow - Little hope remains that dozens of people still missing after an accident Monday at Russia's largest hydro-electric power station will be found alive, company officials said Tuesday.

Twelve people have been confirmed dead following an explosion at the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydro-electric plant that collapsed the facility's turbine hall. Another 64 remain missing.

The search will continue for survivors, the Interfax news agency reported, citing Vassily Zubakin, a manager at the plant, on Tuesday. But given that the machine room flooded after the collapse, odds of their survival are slim, he said.

The Russian government has promised financial aid to families of the deceased.

Sergey Shoigu, the minister of emergency situations, said there is little chance that the plant's dam will collapse. Russian media has described the accident as the worst blow to Russia's energy supply in years.

The plant lies along the Yenisei river in southern Siberia.    At the time of the explosion, large numbers of workers were on site due to a changeover of shifts.

   The number of rescue workers was due to increase Tuesday from 900 to 1,300, Itar-Tass reported. Experts were also scheduled to begin tackling the oil slick on the power station's 320-kilometre-long reservoir.    

The Sayano-Shushenskaya power station is the largest hydroelectric plant in Russia, with a capacity of 6,700 megawatts. The plant, which opened in 1978, has a dam which is 242 metres high and more than a kilometre wide.    

Itar-Tass reported that the accident was believed to have been caused by a transformer explosion. An investigation was ordered.