Overview
- The accident occurred during commissioning work on Tuesday, August 25, when explosions and a fire broke out in an auxiliary area of the pyrolysis unit at the under‑construction Amur gas‑chemical complex.
- Rescue teams have confirmed eight dead, eight Chinese workers missing, and 152 people who sought medical care with several seriously injured flown to federal hospitals for treatment.
- The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case for violations of industrial safety rules and Rostekhnadzor convened a technical commission that will work through November 27 to determine causes and responsibility.
- An April Rostekhnadzor inspection found concrete safety defects including missing fastenings on explosion‑protected equipment, incorrectly installed pressure gauges, and other fire‑safety lapses that the operator failed to fully fix by a May deadline and was fined 50,000 rubles on August 13.
- Rospotrebnadzor air samples so far show pollutant levels within norms but locals report strong odors and breathing problems, rescue teams continue controlled burns of residual gases, and the accident raises fresh doubts about the project’s near‑term commercial start and local public safety.