MOSCOW, August 24 (RIA Novosti) - Russian investigators ruled out on Monday terrorism as the cause of last week's deadly accident at the country's largest hydropower plant.
A Chechen militant group on Friday took responsibility for the disaster at the south Siberian Sayano-Shushenskaya power station, issuing a statement in which it declared "economic war" on Russia. Officials dismissed the claim.
"It has been established that the accident was of a technological character. The concrete reasons for the accident will be determined in the course of the investigation. Terrorism has been completely ruled out by the investigation," the Investigations Committee said in a statement.
Sixty-nine people died in the accident on August 17, while six are missing and presumed dead.
The 69th body was discovered on Sunday morning and work to rebuild the plant is starting as the cleanup operation winds down.
