A general view shows the damaged machine room of Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power station near Siberian village of Cheryomushki, about 520 km (323 miles) south of Krasnoyarsk, August 18, 2009.
Prime Minister Vladimir Putin ordered Thursday that key parts of Russia's aging infrastructure be checked and upgraded after a power plant accident in Siberia left scores feared dead and strained the vast region's power supply.
The confirmed death toll in the Russian power plant accident rose to 17 Thursday after three more bodies were found, and harrowing escape stories emerged from the few survivors.
Over 1,000 rescue workers searched the massive Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric plant in southern Siberia for the 57 people who remain missing and are feared dead. On Thursday, workers pumped out the remaining water from the damaged engine room to try to find more bodies.
A powerful explosion Monday blew out walls and caused the power plant's turbine room to flood. Three of the plant's 10 turbines were reportedly destroyed and three others were damaged. The cause of the accident is unclear but officials cited a faulty turbine and a rise of pressure in the pipes as possible triggers.
"The tragic event at the Sayano-Shushenskaya have clearly shown how much we need to do to ensure safety of hydropower facilities," Putin told a Cabinet session in Moscow. "We need to conduct a thorough check of all strategic and vital parts of infrastructure and work out a plan for their regular upgrade."
