Upon instruction of Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia Alexander Bastrykin, the probe launched by the Zabaikalsky Regional Investigations Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia into the death of 19 persons as a result of a traffic accident involving a bus was referred to the Central Office of the Committee for further investigation. At present, the accident is qualified as an offense under Part 3 of Article 238 (rendering of services that do not meet safety standards entailing by negligence the death of two or more persons) and Part 3 of Article 293 of the Criminal Code of Russia (neglect of duty entailing by negligence the death of two or more persons).
Also, the Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia instructed to initiate a transfer of the probe under Part 5 of Article 264 of the Criminal Code of Russia (violation of rules of traffic safety and operation of transport vehicles entailing by negligence the death of two persons) from internal affairs bodies. At present, this probe has been also referred to investigative units of the Investigative Committee of Russia.
Today investigators detained on suspicion of committing the offense a 30-year-old Chita resident--an individual entrepreneur being an organizer of passenger carriage by the bus involved in the traffic accident. Searches have been carried out in the office of the entrepreneur and at his place of residence. Searches have been also carried out in the Road Traffic Safety Directorate of the Zabaikalsky Regional Directorate of the Ministry for Internal Affairs of Russia and the Zabaikalsky Regional Directorate of the State Road Supervision Agency. Investigators have seized and are currently examining route documents and documents on pre-departure examination of drivers and control of the technical condition of vehicles.
Up to date investigators including an officer of the Main Forensics Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia have completed an examination of the scene of the accident. Items of relevance to the investigation were seized. Today the investigators also carried out the procedure of identification of the passengers’ bodies killed in the accident. The bus will be transported to the Regional Centre, where it will be placed in a storage unit for further detailed inspection and forensic examination.
The criminal investigations are ongoing.
Official spokesperson for the Investigative Committee of Russia S. Petrenko
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