Tragedy at Russian Gas Plant: 7 Dead, 9 Missing After Massive Fire in Amur

SVOBODNY, RUSSIA — A devastating industrial fire at the under-construction Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC) in Russia’s Far East has left seven people dead—including six Chinese nationals—and nine others missing. Emergency service teams battled the blaze at the massive petrochemical project, which has injured at least 152 workers, with dozens requiring specialized hospital care.

The fire broke out in an auxiliary processing section of the facility's pyrolysis unit before being extinguished by emergency crews. Officials confirmed that while the primary production equipment escaped major structural damage, smoke inhalation and intense flames rapidly swept through nearby contractor work areas, resulting in heavy casualties among the facility's international workforce.

Key details of the disaster indicate that the fire occurred at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex, located in Amur Oblast within Far Eastern Russia. The incident resulted in seven confirmed fatalities—comprising six Chinese workers and one Russian worker—while nine Chinese contractors remain missing and 152 total individuals were injured. The medical response involved hospitalizing 36 people, with emergency aircraft deployed to airlift severely injured personnel to regional medical centers. The facility itself is operated as a joint venture between Russian petrochemical giant Sibur and China's state-owned Sinopec.

Search and rescue units continue to clear debris and navigate damaged sections of the auxiliary site in an urgent effort to locate the nine missing workers. Russia’s Investigative Committee has officially launched a criminal inquiry into potential breaches of industrial safety regulations to determine the root cause of the blaze.

The Amur complex, designed to be one of the largest polyethylene and polypropylene production sites globally, was nearing completion and preparing to initiate operations. The tragic incident highlights the severe risks inherent in large-scale industrial megaprojects and casts a shadow over the joint Sino-Russian venture as safety audits begin.

Amid growing international attention, environmental monitoring teams were dispatched to the boundary of the neighboring town of Svobodny to continuously test local air quality for chemical hazards. Early assessments by consumer protection authorities confirmed that no dangerous spikes in toxic emissions were detected, offering relief to local residents while specialized crews remaining on site monitor the controlled burning of residual industrial gases to ensure full containment.