'1 killed in blast at Russian sewage works'

Moscow, Sept 16: A gas blast at a sewage works in Russia killed a worker and injured several other people today, Interfax news agency said.

The plant was destroyed and others buildings nearby were damaged, the agency said.

Interfax quoted Emergency Ministry officials as saying eight people had been injured, although rescue work was continuing as it was feared two more people were trapped in the wreckage.

The ministry was unavailable for comment.

The agency quoted police sources as saying preliminary checks showed the works had not been cleaned for a long time, causing a building of gas which triggered the explosion.

The agency quoted Andrei Barkovsky, a spokesman for the Moscow region governor, as saying the accident had not led to any environmental problems around the facility at Kransnogorsk, near the capital.

Accidents at service plants in Russia are rife as the state-owned infrastructure crumbles due to lack of investment.

REUTERS