Fire Halts Operations at Major Russian Coal Plant

A fire caused operations to stop at a major coal processing plant in northeastern Russia, injuring four people and resulting in significant damage. The plant, owned by Mechel, is in Yakutia, and efforts are underway to determine when work will resume after the fire was extinguished.

May 7 (Reuters) - A significant coal processing facility in the remote northeastern region of Russia has suspended operations following a fire incident that injured four individuals, as reported by the plant's owner, Russian mining company Mechel.

The facility in Neryungri, located in the Republic of Sakha, commonly referred to as Yakutia, saw its operations halted and staff evacuated after a methane fire ignited in a finished goods warehouse. Although the fires have been extinguished, significant damage was caused to the plant's infrastructure, including warehouses, buildings, and a conveyor belt, according to a statement from the Yakutia emergencies ministry on Telegram.

Owned by Mechel's parent company Yakutugol, one of Sakha Republic's leading coal mining firms, the Neryungri plant started its operations in 1985 and boasts an annual capacity of nine million tons of coking coal. Despite the reports from various Russian Telegram news channels about a possible explosion, these claims have not been verified independently by Reuters.

(With inputs from agencies.)