OREANDA-NEWS. February 1, 2008. OAO Severstal announces that today at approximately 11:20 am, a fire at blast furnace five at its Cherepovets steel plant has resulted in the death of a Severstal employee and injury to two others who, though not in critical condition, are being cared for in hospital. The fire has been extinguished but operations at the blast furnace have been suspended pending an investigation.

Early indications are that the fire may have been the result of the dispersal and subsequent ignition of the furnace’s roofing material caused by the opening of the third Cowper stove in the upper part of the furnace. No explosion occurred at the furnace.
 
Severstal will provide further updates concerning the accident as they become available.