Panic in Russian City After Plague Death in Siberia

A Russian city is in panic following the death of a laboratory technician in Shelekhov, Siberia, with authorities downplaying the incident while the WHO requests clarification. The death has sparked global concern about a potential outbreak. Russian officials say the technician died of "pneumonia of unknown etiology" and that an autopsy found no infection linked to her work at the Irkutsk anti-plague institute, though local media suggest she broke a test tube. The WHO's director-general urged Moscow to clarify reports of a second ill employee, while the Kremlin dismissed most media reports as false. Residents report widespread rumors and fear due to a lack of official information, with some schools making masks mandatory. The health regulator says the situation is stable, with about 5,000 tests showing no dangerous pathogens.