Bangladeshi Death Toll in Russia Fire Rises to Four
Another Bangladeshi national has died in a fire at a gas-chemical plant in Russia’s Amur region.
The Bangladeshi, identified as Mahin Uddin, died while undergoing treatment at a hospital early Friday (September 4). With his death, the number of Bangladeshis killed in the devastating fire has risen to four.
Mizanur Rahman, First Secretary (Labour) at the Bangladesh Embassy in Moscow, confirmed the information. Mahin Uddin was from Narsingdi.
The fire broke out on August 25 at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC) near the city of Svobodny in Russia’s Amur region. The following day, AGCC said in a statement that seven people, including six Chinese nationals, had died. Later, the company said in a Telegram post that the death toll had risen to 15, with 14 of the deceased being foreign nationals.
According to a report by The Moscow Times, the AGCC project is being built at a cost of around $10 billion as a joint venture between Russia’s petrochemical giant Sibur and China’s state-owned oil and gas company Sinopec. The project is planned to become one of the world’s largest polymer production facilities. As the complex is scheduled to begin operations early next year, final-stage testing was underway at the site.
AGCC said the fire originated in an auxiliary section of the pyrolysis unit and subsequently spread rapidly.
Two days after the fire, on August 27, Mizanur Rahman said that one Bangladeshi had died and another was missing. Later, the deaths of the two Bangladeshis and another Bangladeshi, Abdul Quddus, were confirmed.
Zakir Hossain was from Bhairab in Kishoreganj, while Md Alal Hossain Raju was from Gangni in Meherpur. The other deceased, Abdul Quddus, was from Huglabaria in Pangsha upazila of Rajbari.
Embassy official Mizanur Rahman said the bodies of Zakir Hossain and Alal Hossain Raju had been placed in coffins after autopsies. The two bodies are expected to arrive in Dhaka by cargo aircraft and be handed over to their families by September 9. He said the procedures for the bodies of Abdul Quddus and Mahin Uddin at a Moscow hospital could take another six to seven days. Their bodies will be sent to Bangladesh after the procedures are completed.
A total of 36 Bangladeshis were injured in the fire. Four of them have died, while one seriously injured Bangladeshi is still undergoing treatment at a hospital. The others have returned home after receiving treatment, Mizanur Rahman said.
