Nizhnekamsk Mayor Radmir Belyaev reported that a fire broke out at the Nizhnekamskneftekhim enterprise, without уточning the cause of the ignition.
“Efforts are underway to localize the fire at the Nizhnekamskneftekhim site. Emergency response services are involved. Employees not engaged in the response have been moved to a safe distance,” Belyaev wrote on his Telegram channel.
Local media claim that the explosion was caused by a technical malfunction of one of the installations.
Russia’s aviation authority Rosaviatsiya reported at 13:54 Moscow time that operations at Nizhnekamsk Airport were suspended “to ensure flight safety” — such restrictions are introduced due to the threat of drone attacks. However, the restrictions were lifted at 14:03.
According to local Telegram channels, at least two people were injured at Nizhnekamskneftekhim, and a production workshop was damaged.
Residents of Nizhnekamsk complain about a “chemical smell” following the explosion at the plant. The city’s mayor, in turn, stated that “specialists from accredited laboratories are monitoring air quality, and no threat to residents or the environment has been recorded.”