Investigators Open Case After Boiler Explosion at Nizhny Tagil Furniture Plant Kills One

Overview

• A solid-fuel boiler exploded at the ZAO Nizhnetagilskaya furniture factory, causing a partial collapse of the boiler-room wall and an open fire.
• The Investigative Committee opened a criminal case under Article 143 Part 2 of the Russian Criminal Code over alleged labor safety violations resulting in a death.
• The victim was a stoker born in 1966, and a second stoker survived after stepping outside to report a surge of steam moments before the explosion.
• Firefighters extinguished open flames at 18:01 local time after the first report at 17:12, and the deceased was found at 18:47; 13 units of equipment and 42 personnel responded.
• Police said residential heating was unaffected because the damaged boiler house served only the firm’s warehouse premises.