DUSHANBE, October 1, 2012, Asia-Plus — Russian media sources reported, referring to Russia’s Minister of Emergencies, at least eight workers died after fire broke out in an oil sludge-processing firm on Saturday, September 29, in the West Siberian region of Khanty-Mansiysk, the hinterland of Russian crude production.
In the meantime, an official source at the Tajik migration service agency told Asia-Plus today that five Tajik nationals died and at least one other injured in the fire in the oil-sludge-processing firm in Khanty-Mansiysk. Among those died are Olimjon Sattorov, 44, Odil Olimov, 41, Qodirjon Hamroqulov, 37, Hakim Boqiyev, 26, and Sailmjon Toshmatov, 47. Abdunabi Egamberdiyev, 37, sustained serious burns and was taken to a district hospital in Khanty-Mansiysk.
All of them had worked at that plant, the source said.
The investigation commission reportedly said the cause of the fire at a sludge storage could be an explosion, while the state-owned news agency, RIA Novosti, said, citing a law-enforcement source, the plant caught fire after gas exploded.
The fire was reported at 09:50 Moscow time at the plant, owned by the private Invest-Oil company.
Reuters reports that According to some estimates, more than 3 million tons of sludge is being generated in Russia as a result of oil and gas production and refining.
