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September 9, 2009 |
The Sayano-Shushenskaya dam accident
On August 17th, near Sayanogorsk in south central Russia, a catastrophic accident took place in the turbine and transformer rooms of the hydroelectric plant of the Sayano-Shushenskaya dam. The exact cause is still under investigation, but what is known so far is that a tremendous amount of water from the Yenisei River flooded the turbine room, causing at least one transformer explosion and extensive damage to all ten turbines, destroying at least three of them. 74 workers are known to have lost their lives in the accident, while one remains missing. Additionally, 40 tons of transformer oil were spilled into the river, killing an estimated 400 tons of trout in two fisheries. Investigators plan to release findings in two months, as Prime Minister Vladimir Putin called for a nationwide infrastructure inspection. (32 photos total)

Buildings sit on the bank of the oil-polluted waters of the Yenisei River, downstream from the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power dam in Cheryomushky on August 20, 2009. Oil from the dam's turbines was released into the water as a result of the accident. (ALEXANDER NEMENOV/AFP/Getty Images) #
More links and information
Body of 74th victim of HPP accident found, SKP confirms - ITAR-TASS 9/9
Decaying Soviet Infrastructure Shows Its Era - NYTimes.com, 8/20
Sayano-Shushenskaya Dam - Google Map
2009 Sayano-Shushenskaya hydro accident - Wikipedia entry