Russian Gas Plant Engulfed in Massive Fire, 7 Killed

A gas plant in the Amur region of Russia’s Far East has been engulfed in a major fire. At least seven people, most of them Chinese nationals, were killed in the blaze.

Nine other people were reported missing in the fire that struck the gas chemical plant complex in the Amur area.

The operator of the Russian gas plant, as reported by Reuters on Wednesday (26/8/2026), said that a total of seven people were confirmed dead. Six of them were Chinese nationals.

A further 152 people were injured in the fire. Around 36 of the injured were taken to hospital.

Emergency service aircraft were deployed to the site to transport the injured to several hospitals in Russia.

According to the gas plant operator, in a statement via Telegram, the fire that began on Tuesday (25/8) local time had been successfully extinguished.

The cause of the fire is not yet known.

The gas chemical plant complex is a joint project between Russian company Sibur and Chinese oil and gas company Sinopec. The facility is claimed to be one of the world’s largest producers of polyethylene and polypropylene.

At the time of the fire, the facility had not yet begun operations and was preparing to start production. The Amur Gas Chemical Complex is expected to eventually produce 2.3 million metric tonnes of polyethylene and 400,000 tonnes of polypropylene per year.

Russia often relies on foreign labour, including workers from China, for the construction of large-scale industrial and infrastructure projects.

Russia’s Investigative Committee said it was investigating the incident as a suspected breach of industrial safety rules and was working to determine the cause of the fire.