The death toll from a fire at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC) in Russia’s Far East has risen to 15. The company announced this information in a statement on Thursday.
Earlier, following the fire that broke out at the plant on Tuesday, AGCC had reported seven fatalities, six of whom were Chinese nationals.
However, on Thursday, the company stated that the death toll had climbed to 15.
Fourteen of the deceased were foreign nationals, though details regarding their specific nationalities were not disclosed.
AGCC further reported that 39 injured workers remain hospitalized, with nine of them having been airlifted to Moscow.
The Amur Gas Chemical Complex is a $10 billion joint venture between the Russian petrochemical giant Sibur and the Chinese state-owned oil and gas company Sinopec. The company claims to be one of the world’s largest producers of polyethylene and polypropylene.
At the time of the fire, the complex was undergoing final testing ahead of its scheduled inauguration in early 2027.
AGCC stated that construction work on the complex would continue, alongside preparations for next year’s launch.
Russia’s top investigative body, the Investigative Committee, announced that it has launched an investigation to determine if safety regulations were violated. Simultaneously, the actual cause of the fire is being probed.
The Amur Gas Chemical Complex aims to produce 2.3 million metric tons of polyethylene and 400,000 tons of polypropylene annually.
