In just 10 days, five people died at the Rosatom construction site in Bangladesh. The circumstances of the tragedy are still unknown. An investigation is underway. The topic is being actively discussed on social networks. And they blame the Russian state agency for everything.
Evil tongues claim that it was not without radiation.
What are we talking about?
From January 28 to February 6, 2022, five Russians died one by one in Bangladesh at the construction site of the Rooppur nuclear power plant. Autopsies of the bodies showed “nothing suspicious.” The Ishwardi police are continuing their investigation.
On January 28, 48-year-old Barchenko was the first to die. The man was being treated at a medical center. On February 2, his 40-year-old colleague Shakirov died in his sleep. On February 5, 48-year-old mechanical engineer Shchukin died in the same hospital. Allegedly after a sudden illness. On the same day, another employee of the company, 59-year-old Tolmasov, died. He was found near the apartment of the Green City residential complex (intended for employees of the nuclear power plant under construction). On February 6, Vorotnikov, a 45-year-old employee of NIKIMT-Atomstroy, died in the apartment of the same building.
The Ishvardi police are trying to figure out the mysterious deaths of Russians. According to a law enforcement representative, one of the victims had a heart disease, the second “used drugs.” An autopsy of the bodies showed “nothing suspicious”. The investigation is ongoing.
Rosatom expressed condolences to the relatives of the victims and said that it was actively cooperating with the investigation.
Deadly NPP
In fact, these are not the first deaths at the construction site of Rosatom’s nuclear power plant. Earlier, during the construction of the BelNPP in Belarus, five people also died. Most of the deaths occurred due to the negligence of the employees themselves. What happened in Bangladesh is still unknown. According to the data of the Russian embassy in Dhaka, “the death of the Russians was not of a violent nature and was not associated with work-related injuries.”
Rosatom press service to journalists:
In social networks and the media about these tragedies, speculation appeared with their own versions of the causes of death. About which it will be possible to speak only on the results of the investigation. We are currently supporting and cooperating with the investigative team working to determine the cause of each death.
Indeed, in social networks, the topic of Russians who died at the construction site of a nuclear power plant is actively discussed. By the way, Rosatom is blamed for their death. According to one version, employees of the subcontractor company were exposed to radiation. However, this particular version does not stand up to scrutiny. The construction of nuclear power units has not yet been completed, which means that there was no loading of nuclear fuel into the reactors. Therefore, there could be no exposure.
According to another, the cause of death was a conflict with local residents. Back in November 2021, news broke that Russian engineers had been severely beaten by workers at a nuclear power plant construction site in Bangladesh. Allegedly because of salary delays. Local residents, armed with metal pipes and pieces of fittings, attacked the Russians. It’s not the first time they’ve been delayed. A similar situation took place in April of the same year. Perhaps now there was a monetary conflict. True, all five employees did not die from violent death, at least the Russian embassy claims so.
However, the fact remains that five Russians died at the construction site of the nuclear power plant. under unknown circumstances.
Another “free” nuclear power plant
Now let’s talk about the Rooppur NPP itself. In November 2011, Bangladesh and Russia signed an agreement to build the first nuclear power plant. The construction was entrusted to Rosatom. The site for the future nuclear power plant was determined on the eastern bank of the Ganges River. Approximately 160 kilometers from the capital of Bangladesh, Dhaka.
In 2017, the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority (BAERA) issued a license to build the station. At the same time, the construction of Rooppur officially began. The cost of the nuclear power plant was estimated at $2 billion. Russia issued a $500 million state loan to the country.
Rosatom has a hobby of building nuclear power plants on credit. The state corporation built the Akkuyu NPP in Turkey for $22 billion (also “on credit”). In Iran, Bushehr – for $30 billion (yes, on credit), in Hungary, the Paks nuclear power plant cost the Russian budget €10 billion (loan for 30 years). In Egypt, four power units of the Ed-Dabaa nuclear power plant will be built on credit ($25 billion). The Hanhikivi nuclear power plant in Finland – about €7 billion – was also covered by Russia. Belarus – $10 billion (loan). Iraq – $40 billion.
Kyrgyzstan can also build low-capacity nuclear power plants on credit. Belarus wants a second nuclear power plant, Turkey wants two more. As a result, in fact, the foreign projects of the state corporation are paid from the Russian budget.
Now back to the conflict with workers in Bangladesh. Wages in the country are much lower. Presumably, the salaries of local workers were paid less than the same engineers from Russia. And sometimes they didn’t pay at all. The station is being built on credit. Therefore, it is not surprising that such behavior of the “atomic scientists” could cause aggression among local residents. I wonder where the saved money went? But they clearly were not worth the health of the injured employees, especially the lives of the dead Russians.
