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Second emergency worker injured in anti-flood blast works dies at hospital in Arkhangelsk

The emergency situation department reported that the explosion went off at about 11:30 Moscow time on April 17

ARKHANGELSK, April 18 (Itar-Tass) – The second emergency worker, who was injured in the anti-flood blast works on the ice of the Severnaya Dvina River on Wednesday, died of wounds during a surgery at the Arkhangelsk hospital, the press centre of the Arkhangelsk regional emergency situation department told Itar-Tass on Thursday.

The emergency situation department reported that the explosion went off at about 11:30 Moscow time on April 17 as a result of a spontaneous detonation of the explosive device, which head of the department of special works of the Arkhangelsk regional centre of civil defence Vladimir Zotov and his colleague Mikhail Neustupov planted on the ice of Severnaya Dvina at the village Orletsy in the Kholmogory district. Zotov with leg injuries was evacuated by the helicopter to the regional centre. The doctors were fighting for his life for seven hours.

“Vladimir and Mikhail are working together very often,” the press centre reported. “Both men are not the novices in the blasting works. Both have the army mine blasting experience in the flashpoints. The detectives will find the cause for a spontaneous detonation of the explosive device, which is used in the ice blasting. This was a scheduled mission, both blasting specialists had already gone on hundreds of missions. They destroyed thousands of highly explosive objects and blasted tonnes of explosives in similar ice blasting missions,” the press centre said.

An inquiry prior to the investigation is underway in the blast case.