Russia plant fire kills 15, including Bangladeshi

At least 15 people, including a Bangladeshi national, have been killed and 152 others injured in a fire at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex in Russia’s Far East, according to sources.

The Bangladeshi Embassy in Moscow, in an emergency progress report dated 27 August, identified the deceased worker as Jakir Hossain, from Bhairab in Kishoreganj. His body was recovered on Thursday morning, according to the report.

Another Bangladeshi worker, Md Alal Hossain Raju, from Gangni in Meherpur, remains missing. The embassy said some of the bodies were severely burnt and could not yet be identified, and it was feared that Raju could be among the unidentified remains.

The embassy report said the number of deaths could be as high as 15, citing unconfirmed sources.
By Thursday, the death toll had risen to 15, with 14 of those killed being foreign nationals, the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC) said in a statement, without specifying their nationalities.

The company said 39 workers remained hospitalised, including nine who had been airlifted to Moscow. Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry source, however, put the total number of injured at 152.
$10bn Russian-Chinese project

The Amur Gas Chemical Complex is one of the world’s largest polyethylene and polypropylene production facilities. It is a $10 billion joint venture between Russian petrochemical giant Sibur and China’s state-owned oil and gas company Sinopec.

The complex was undergoing final testing ahead of its planned launch in early 2027 when the fire broke out.

AGCC said construction work would continue, along with preparations for the facility’s planned launch next year.

Russia’s Investigative Committee, the country’s top investigative body, has launched an investigation into possible safety violations and is working to determine the cause of the fire.

Once fully operational, the complex is expected to produce 2.3 million tonnes of polyethylene and 400,000 tonnes of polypropylene annually.