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Two more probes opened in death of elderly citizens evacuated during fire in nursing home in Irkutsk

The Irkutsk Region Office of the Investigative Committee continues investigation into unsafe services under Part 1 of Article 238 and unsafe services entailing death of a person under Part 2 of Article 238 of the RF Criminal Code after a fire in a nursing home.

According to investigators, the fire started in the laundry on the first floor of the two-floor building located in Kurortnaya Street in the city of Irkutsk at about 5 PM on 18 October 2017 and quickly spread to the first and second floors. The building housed the Sergei Militsa Palliative Aid Foundation. There were 15 people inside – 12 elderly citizens and 3 staffers. 12 people sought medical treatment for carbon monoxide inhalation. One of elderly women died on 20 October.

Two more women evacuated from the facility died on 25 and 29 October 2017. Two probes have been launched into unsafe services entailing death of a person under Part 2 of Article 238 of the RF Criminal Code. All the cases have been put together to form a single lawsuit.

By now, the investigators have detained the organizer of the facility. They have also ordered forensic examinations, questioned witnesses and victims, and seized documents. They are now working to find out all the circumstances surrounding the crimes. The investigations continue.

Unfortunately, it is not a single case of elderly people having been killed in fires in assisted living facilities – several similar incidents have happened in Russian regions this year alone.

The Ivanovo Region Investigative Authority is looking into a fire in a nursing home in the town of Puchezh. The fire happened on 17 September 2017 and took lives of two patients, while two more died later in hospital. The probe was launched in reckless homicide under Part 3 of Article 109 of the RF Criminal Code. A number of forensic examinations are underway and investigators requested conclusions of medical workers and fire authorities.

In August 2017, a fire in Zhemchuzhina nursing home in the city of Krasnoyarsk claimed lives of three people. The Krasnoyarsk Territory Directorate of the Investigative Committee opened an investigation in unsafe services under Part 3 of Article 238 of the RF Criminal Code, which was later taken over by the Head Office of the Investigative Committee.

In each case, investigators identify not only the guilty ones, but the contributing factors as well and make preventive steps.