Putin to match payouts to plant disaster families

RUSSIAN Prime Minister Vladimir Putin yesterday visited the site of the Siberia power plant accident that killed 47 workers and promised compensation for their families and those of the 28 others still missing.

Putin urged RusHydro, owner of the massive Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric plant, to compensate the families of the dead and missing equally. RusHydro has already pledged to pay one million rubles ($31,300) to the families of the dead.

Putin acknowledged there was little hope anyone could still be alive after four days in near-freezing waters.