CHEREMUSHKI SETTLEMENT (Khakasia), August 22 (RIA Novosti) - The number of dead bodies recovered from the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydropower plant following Monday's deadly accident has risen to 66, an emergencies official said on Saturday.
"In the course of the work another two dead bodies have been found," the official said.
Nine people are still missing and presumed dead almost a week after the accident. Rescue workers have suggested that some victims could have been swept into the river.
The disaster occurred during repair work to one of the plant's 10 hydroelectric generators. A surge of water shattered three of the turbines and flooded much of the plant.
Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited the dam on Friday to inspect the damage and cleanup operation, announcing compensation to the families of the victims and demanding the Energy Ministry and plant owner RusHydro draw up a reconstruction plan within six weeks.
He said RusHydro, which is around 60% owned by the government, would pay 1 million rubles ($31,450) to the families of those missing and killed.
Some relatives have complained about the lack of information being released about the accident, and on Saturday local residents demanded to be included on a state commission to investigate the disaster.
"We want to have access to all the documents, and to monitor the course of the investigation," a man said at a meeting with plant management.
He said victims' relatives feared that there would be a cover-up.
Locals believe the accident was caused by plant management seeking to produce as much electricity as possible without paying enough attention to the condition of the equipment, a charge dismissed by power plant representatives.
The prime minister of the republic of Khakasia, Viktor Zimin, said he was personally supervising the investigation and "no one is hiding anything."
RusHydro has said the damage could take up to two years to repair, and Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko estimated the cost could run to at least 40 billion rubles ($1.2 billion).
