Russia announces compensation for victims in power plant disaster

MOSCOW, Aug. 22 -- Prime Minister Vladimir Putin signed an order

Saturday giving 1 million rubles (31,500 U.S. dollars) in compensation to each

of the families of those killed in a Siberia power plant accident.

The order also included payments of 100,000 rubles (3,150 dollars) in a

lump sum to each of those injured in the accident that killed at least 66

people, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Russia's finance ministry will allocate the money from its reserve funds to

the government of Khakasia, the remote southern Siberian region where the power

plant is located.

The death toll from the accident Monday at Russia's largest hydroelectric

plant, located on the Yenisei River 3,400 km east of Moscow, rose to 66 on

Saturday, with nine workers still missing.

A strong water surge that flooded an engine room and damaged three turbines

at the plant after an unexplained explosion has made it difficult to locate the

missing workers, Russian Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu said

Saturday.

The accident shut down the plant, causing a severe energy shortfall in the

region.

The plant's owner RusHydro has said it would take up to two years to repair

the damage. Restoring the plant would cost at least 40 billion rubles (1.3

billion dollars).

Putin visited the accident site Friday and promised compensation.