Three utility company employees were arrested for safety violations related to a deadly gas explosion at an apartment block in the Sverdlovsk region, law enforcement authorities said Tuesday.
At least 10 people including children were killed after a gas explosion ripped through a five-story panel building in the industrial city of Nizhny Tagil on Thursday. Eight people remain hospitalized, including three in serious condition.
“A gas service master and two fitters were detained,” police investigators said. The three utility company employees face up to 10 years in prison if found guilty of safety violations charges.
Gazeks, a company that supplies gas to dozens of municipalities throughout the Sverdlovsk region, said its employees were the target of the investigation.
“Gazeks is fully cooperating so that an objective investigation can be carried out and the true causes of the tragedy can be established,” the company said in a statement.
Gas explosions in residential buildings are not uncommon in Russia. Many apartment blocks built during the Soviet era are poorly maintained and repair work is sometimes delayed for years or never done at all.
State media has reported that the partially collapsed apartment block in Nizhny Tagil was built in 1974 and was scheduled to undergo major remodeling in 2032.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has designated The Moscow Times as an “undesirable” organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a “foreign agent.”
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work “discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership.” We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It’s quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you’re defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.
×
Remind me next month
Thank you! Your reminder is set.