Dozens now feared dead in Russian hydro accident

Divers scoured the flooded rooms of Russia’s largest hydroelectric plant today but it was unlikely that any of the 64 workers missing after an accident would be found alive.

The incident yesterday which drowned or crushed to death 12 other workers shut down the massive Sayano-Shushenskaya power plant in southern Siberia and left several towns and major factories without electricity.

Two workers were found alive in niches inside the flooded structure, but hope was fading for the 64 still missing.

“With every hour, there is less and less chance left that we will find somebody alive,” a RusHydro spokesman said.

Investigators said an explosion destroyed walls and the ceiling in a room where turbines are located and caused the room to flood. One of the plant’s 10 turbines was destroyed, two were partly destroyed and three others were damaged.

The plant’s dam, a towering structure that stretches more than half a mile across the Yenisei River, was not damaged and towns downstream were not in danger, according to the regional government.

Three groups of divers were searching for the missing workers both inside the flooded rooms and in the river outside.

RusHydro said a faulty turbine at the plant, which began operating in 1978, was the likely cause. Investigators believe the accident occurred after a defective lid of one turbine was torn off during repair work.

More than 70 % of all energy from the Sayano-Shushenskaya plant goes to four Siberian smelters of Rusal, the world’s largest aluminium producer.

Ageing infrastructure has long been regarded as a key obstacle to Russia’s development.

Analysts have warned that Russia needs to boost its power production significantly to meet the growing demand of industrial producers or it will face regular power shortages. The latest accident put Russia’s plans to increase its power capacity in jeopardy.