On the morning of April 3rd local time, a fire broke out at Russia’s Onega Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant, damaging a new workshop at the shipyard.
The local fire department said that more than 60 firefighters and 20 pieces of equipment were dispatched to extinguish the fire. Reports showed that three people were injured in the fire. Two of the injured suffered burns to the upper respiratory tract and were taken to the hospital. The other injured person suffered minor injuries and was treated at the scene.
Onega Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant is one of Russia’s key shipyards for the expansion of the country’s shipbuilding capabilities. Established in 2002 in St. Petersburg, the shipyard is located at the intersection of Russia’s main waterways connecting the Baltic Sea, the White Sea, the Caspian Sea, the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
The fire reportedly started at 9:50 p.m. local time on April 3rd. The media said the fire may have been started by two welders working near the spilled fuel. They were carrying out welding operations in a 1,500-square-meter workshop. The workshop is said to be one of the shipyard’s new facilities for introducing automation and digitalization equipment.
Residents in the neighborhood told the media that they heard an explosion. Local officials later said the fire had been extinguished at 12pm.
Onega Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant builds a wide range of vessels, including tugs, dredgers and liquefied natural gas (LNG) bunkering vessels. In 2019, the shipyard launched a modernization and expansion with the support of Russian President Vladimir Putin, which will make it the first digital shipyard in Russia. The renovation project includes the construction of new production facilities, robotization and automation of production processes, and digital support at all stages of shipbuilding.
In January this year, the first phase of the Onega Shipbuilding and Ship Repair Plant “Digital Shipyard” was put into trial operation. Russian Presidential Aide, Chairman of the Russian Federation Maritime Committee Nikolay Patrushev and Russian Presidential Plenipotentiary Representative to the North-Western Federal District Alexander Gutsan inspected the first phase of the start-up work.