A military specialty Il-76 aircraft of the Russian Emergencies Ministry transported eight severely ill victims from a thermal power plant incident in Tuva to medical facilities in Krasnoyarsk. The transfer was reported by TASS, which cited the ministry’s press service for the Russian Federation as the source of information.
According to the ministry, eight people died in the incident at the Shagonarskaya CHPP located in the Ulug-Khem region. The decision to move the seriously injured to Krasnoyarsk hospitals was made after a multidisciplinary consultation with doctors from Moscow, convened to assess the patients and determine the best course of care.
The ministry stated that the decision to arrange the air evacuation was reached during a meeting of medical professionals who reviewed the condition of the victims and coordinated the logistics required for transport to advanced treatment facilities in Krasnoyarsk.
The explosion and ensuing fire at Shagonarskaya CHPP occurred on March 6. Fire crews were able to extinguish the flames quickly, but the blast caused injuries to a number of workers and residents nearby. Local authorities reported that the city of Shagonar experienced a partial disruption in heating as a result of the incident, and efforts were outlined to restore heat supply and provide temporary heating solutions for affected residents.
A special ministry commission was reported to be working in Shagonar, coordinating rapid response measures, including the deployment of heat generation equipment and heat restoration resources to the Tuva region as part of ongoing emergency support. The ministry also indicated that specialized equipment and personnel would be delivered to support the heat supply network, illustrating the broader scope of the response beyond immediate medical evacuation.
In separate developments during that period, state-level discussions and security briefings continued at high levels. While reports from official channels focused on the Tuva incident and the emergency response, regional leaders emphasized the importance of rapid medical evacuation capabilities, robust fire protection measures, and reliable heat supply restoration for communities affected by industrial accidents. The situation underscored the importance of interregional coordination and the readiness of emergency services to respond to industrial incidents that have wide-ranging social implications, including public heating and safety concerns for residents in remote areas. The information cited here draws on official statements and press briefings from the Russian Emergencies Ministry and associated agencies, as reported by TASS and corroborated by subsequent regional updates.