A massive fire erupted at the Onega Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant in Petrozavodsk, Republic of Karelia, on April 3, causing extensive damage to one of its newly built facilities.
The fire started in a workshop storing flammable substances and spread quickly causing multiple explosions.
Authorities confirmed that three people were injured, with two in critical condition.
The Republic of Karelian’s Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that the fire began at 9:50 am local time and covered an area of 1,500 square meters (16,146 square feet).
More than 60 firefighters and 20 emergency units were deployed to the site. The fire was brought under control by 11:30 am and fully extinguished by 12:26 pm.
Early reports suggest that the fire may have started due to a gas explosion. Witnesses heard loud blasts, which were later linked to gas canisters stored in the workshop.
A video circulating on Telegram captured workers shouting warnings and evacuating the building. Some sources say that the welding work near spilt fuel may have caused the explosions.
Authorities confirmed that two of the injured suffered severe burns and smoke inhalation and were placed on ventilators, while a third person received medical attention at the site.
A Russian media outlet also claimed fatalities, but official sources have not confirmed any deaths.
The affected facility was part of a modernisation initiative announced in 2021, to upgrade the shipyard’s infrastructure for digital operations and automation.
The Onega Shipyard, established in 2002 on the site of a former ship repair facility, builds and repairs a range of vessels, including tugboats, dredgers, industrial barges, Arctic-class ships and LNG bunkering vessels.
The facility is strategically located at a key maritime junction connecting the Baltic, White, Caspian, Azov and Black Seas.
Regional authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, with officials trying to find whether safety lapses caused the explosion.
Per local reports, the workshop known as Workshop No. 4 stored highly combustible materials, which may have intensified the fire’s spread.
Some speculate sabotage, as similar fires have affected Russian infrastructure since the start of the war in Ukraine. But, no official confirmation has been made.
Earlier, in April 2024, the navigation vessel Katerina Velikaya caught fire while it was undergoing repairs at the Dalzavod shipyard in Vladivostok.
References: themoscowtimes, kyivindependent
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