A Bangladeshi worker was killed and another remains missing following a gas explosion at the Amur Gas Chemical Complex (AGCC) in Russia’s Amur Region, according to the Bangladesh Embassy in Moscow.

The deceased was identified as Zakir Hossain, a resident of Bhairab in Kishoreganj. His body was recovered on Thursday morning, the embassy said in an update.

Another Bangladeshi worker, Md Alal Hossain Raju, from Gangni in Meherpur, is still missing.

The embassy said several people were killed and injured in the gas explosion at the project, which is under LLC Sinopec Engineering Group.

According to unconfirmed sources, the death toll from the incident could be at least 15.

The embassy said some of the bodies were severely burned and could not yet be identified. It suspects that Raju could be among the unidentified bodies.

Seven critically injured Bangladeshi workers are being transferred from Amur to a specialised hospital in Moscow for advanced treatment, according to the latest information.

Six of the seven injured workers are currently in intensive care units, the embassy said.

The Bangladesh Embassy in Moscow will closely monitor the treatment of the injured workers after they are brought to Moscow, it added.

The embassy has opened a 24-hour hotline to provide information and assistance regarding Bangladeshi nationals affected by the explosion.

Bangladeshi nationals and their relatives can contact the following numbers for information:

+79162323015 (Counsellor and Head of Chancery, Bangladesh Embassy, Moscow)

+79891139169 (First Secretary, Labour Welfare Wing, Bangladesh Embassy, Moscow)

Earlier, the plant said that seven people were killed in the blaze on Tuesday, including six Chinese nationals.

The AGCC is one of the world’s largest enterprises for the production of polyethylene and polypropylene, brands in demand in the Russian and global markets.

The production capacity of the complex will be up to 2.7 million tons of finished products per year.

The burnout of residual process gases is currently being completed under the supervision of specialists. An investigation of the scene has begun.

A total of 152 people sought medical attention. Based on examination results, 36 victims were hospitalised with injuries of varying severity.

The remaining 116 people received medical care and did not require hospitalisation.

A special Il-76 flight from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations arrived to transport some of the hospitalised people to federal medical facilities. The victims and their families are receiving psychological support.

Specialists from the Amur Region Office of Rospotrebnadzor and the Center for Hygiene and Epidemiology are conducting laboratory monitoring of the atmospheric air at the edge of the residential development in Svobodny.