Chinese national dies as injury toll rises after fire at Russia’s Amur complex

A Chinese national was killed and 123 other people were injured after an explosion and fire at a petrochemical complex in Russia’s Far East, company officials posted on Telegram, as efforts to extinguish the blaze continued.

The fire broke out at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex in the Amur region, where the facility’s press service said the victim was a Chinese citizen. The company expressed condolences to the man’s family and said it would provide assistance.

Officials said the fire began at an auxiliary technological section of a pyrolysis unit. The main equipment at the complex was not damaged, according to the company.

The fire was earlier reported to have been localised, with controlled burning of remaining technological gases continuing as emergency crews worked at the site. A commission has been established to investigate the cause of the incident, while specialists monitor air quality in surrounding areas.

The casualty figures could not immediately be independently verified. Earlier official reports said five people had been hospitalised, while others received treatment for minor injuries.

The Amur complex, a joint project involving Russian petrochemical company Sibur and China’s Sinopec, is among the world’s largest planned polymer production facilities.