Sayano-Shushenskaya Update

The death toll at Sayano-Shushenskaya, Russia's largest hydro-electric power plant, has reached 69 people. There are over 2,000 workers involved in sorting through the wreckage, looking for survivors, and cleaning up the ruined plant, which failed due to causes unknown, thus far.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on Saturday signed a special decree giving 1 million rubles ($32,000) to the family of each worker killed in the tragedy.

The situation in Cheryomushki, the town where Sayano-Shushenskaya is, is so dire that a local official has said the town has banned the sale of hard alcohol due to great levels of binge drinking. He said,

"It was decided so to make people stop drinking. Yes, there was a tragedy, funerals are being held, but the uncontrollable consumption of alcohol will cause a greater damage."