Final death toll 12 in Russian petrochemical plant accident

Dozens have been injured after a large fire at a Russian petrochemical plant

FILE PHOTO: A general view shows the chemical producer Nizhnekamskneftekhim plant, in Nizhnekamsk, in the Republic of Tatarstan, Russia, Jul 26, 2017. REUTERS/Sergei Karpukhin/File Photo

Rescue workers completed search operations five days after a large fire at a Russian petrochemical plant and the final death toll stood at 12, the company owning the plant said early on Tuesday.

Sibur, which owns the sprawling Nizhnekamskneftekhim plant in central Russia's Tatarstan region, offered condolences and posted the names of the 12 dead, including a firefighter, on Telegram. Dozens of people were injured.

In the aftermath of the accident in the town of Nizhnekamsk, Sibur said a gas mixture had exploded following a loss of pressure at a facility producing synthetic rubber and plastics. It said it was not clear what had caused the gas to ignite.

Russia's Emergencies Ministry said an aircraft had been dispatched from Moscow to Nizhnekamsk, about 1,000 km (620 miles) to the east to bring the injured to the capital for treatment.