KHAKASIA, August 21 (RIA Novosti) - The official death toll from an accident five days ago at Russia's largest hydropower plant reached 26 on Friday, with another 49 people still missing, rescuers said on Friday.
The search for the missing people at the plant on the Yenisei River in south Siberia's Khakasia Republic is continuing, and water is being continually pumped out of the turbine room which was flooded early on Monday morning after an explosion, but the chances of finding anyone else alive are now believed to be very low.
Monday's shutdown of the Sayano-Shushenskaya plant, built in 1978, has caused a severe energy shortfall in the region, forcing local factories to turn to temporary supplies. The accident destroyed three and badly damaged another two out of a total of 10 power-generating units at the plant.
The blast also released a large slick of insulating oil from the plant's transformers, threatening the river's fish.
RusHydro, the plant's owner, has said the damage could take up to two years to repair, and Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko estimated the cost could run to at least 40 billion rubles ($1.2 billion).
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin is scheduled to visit the Khakasia Republic on Friday to inspect the rescue operation at the plant and assess the situation with power supplies in the region.
