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In Novosibirsk Region, property owner and managers of company charged with reckless homicide and safety breach

The Novosibirsk Region Office of the Investigative Committee continues looking into breach of safety during execution of work causing death to two or more people under Part 3 of Article 216 and reckless homicide under Part 3 of Article 109 of the RF Criminal Code following deaths in a fire at a shoe factory in Iskitim District.

The chairman of the Investigative Committee has ordered that the team working at the scene should be led by the head of the regional investigative authority.

According to investigators, the fire at the shoe factory located in Sovetskaya Street in the settlement of Chernorechensky, Iskitim District, started on the morning of 4 January. It burned more than 1,700 sq. meters housing shoe production facilities and storing shoes and materials for the past 3 years. The bodies of 10 factory workers (7 citizens of China, 2 citizens of Kirgizia and 1 citizen of Russia) were found on the fire scene.

The workshop where the fire started had no fire sprinklers or fire alarms which help protect people and material values before firemen arrive.

The 65-year-old owner of the property, 27-year-old CEO and founder of the company and 40-year-old managing director have been detained. The property owner was charged with reckless homicide, while the other two were accused of safety breach. A court has ruled today to put all three of them under house arrest.

By now, investigators have questioned all workers of the factory, ordered forensic fire, chemical, DNA and medical examinations. They also conducted searches and seizures to confiscate relevant documents. The investigation continues.