The Investigative Committee of Russia warns of the dangers of winter


Every year investigators from the Investigative Committee of Russia are confronted in their work with cases of serious injuries to children or adults, including fatal injuries caused by falling ice from roofs not cleared in time, as well as tragic deaths in bodies of water as a result of stepping on fragile ice.

In connection with the frequent changes of weather conditions in some regions and cases of injury and death of citizens the IC of Russia again reminds of simple safety rules: keep away from buildings, if snow and ice on the roof and protruding parts (awnings, balconies, decorative elements) is noticeable; you must discuss with children the dangers of unstable, fragile ice, prohibiting access to it until the permission of special services.

Each fact of death and injury is checked by the investigating authorities of the Investigative Committee of Russia, criminal proceedings are initiated if there is any reason. In recent days in St. Petersburg there have been more and more cases of citizens being injured as a result of falling snow and ice from the roofs of buildings. Thus, on 13 December 2021 a woman born in 1998 was injured by falling snow from the roof of a house on Moika Embankment in St. Petersburg. She was hospitalized in serious condition. A criminal case has been initiated regarding this incident (Paragraph C of Part 2 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of Russia). Also there was a criminal case filed on the fact of hospitalization of a man born in 1961, on whom snow had fallen from the roof of a house on 3 Sovetskaya St. In addition, the circumstances of injuries on December 15, 2021 of a woman born in 1989 as a result of the fall of ice from the roof of a house on Rubinstein street and a man born in 1989 as a result of snow falling from the roof of the house on Bolshoi Prospect are being investigated within the procedural checks.

In such cases, investigators carry out a complex of measures aimed at clarifying all the circumstances of the incident, including the identification of those responsible for the timely cleaning of roofs.

Please note that the housing and communal organizations and regional authorities should promptly organize the cleaning of roofs of buildings and structures from icicles, snow and ice, to ensure restrictions on the passage of citizens in dangerous areas, as well as control the quality of cleaning and maintenance of buildings and structures. Failure to provide these measures in case of consequences for citizens entails criminal responsibility.

Thus, the evidence collected by investigators of the Investigative Department of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Republic of Karelia was considered by the court sufficient to pass a sentence against the director of the management company and find him guilty (Paragraph C of Part 2 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code). The convicted person failed to take measures for the proper provision of services for cleaning of the roof of the apartment house from snow and ice, and as a result of the fall of a block of ice from the roof of the house a man died in March 2021. And in Samara, the court found guilty the head of the general repair work site of one of the municipal enterprises of the city. As a result of the unscrupulous attitude of the convicted to their duties, on March 28, 2021 there was a fall of the snow and ice mass from the roof of a house on the local residents walking on the sidewalk. One of the victims received injuries incompatible with life, the health of the second woman suffered moderate damage.

On 15 December 2021 in Saratov the criminal case was sent to court against the owner of one of the apartments who installed a canopy on her balcony and did not clean it from snow. As a result, the formation of snow, ice and icicles fell on a 12-year-old boy in January 2021, causing him a head injury from which he died on the spot.

In addition, it is important to remember that winter sports and uncontrolled recreational activities for children can be dangerous and require extra caution and precaution on the part of adults. Downhill sliding and tubing slides remain the most common and traumatizing activity. So, on December 11, 2021, a 5-year-old girl was riding with her parents from a tubing hill in the Moscow Region. When hitting a bump, the tubing changed its direction and went in the direction of the nearby railroad tracks. As a result a child received a head injury, hitting the train wheel, and was hospitalized. A criminal case is being investigated.

It should not be forgotten that seemingly simple hobbies without proper caution can turn into serious injuries, including fatal ones. Before sliding you should: carefully examine the terrain; make sure that the slide and downhill are safe, that there are no trees or street lighting poles or fences near them. You should not tie sledges, ice skates, tubing and similar means, designed for skating from slides, to the vehicles - it is life-threatening.

The IC of Russia also draws attention to the need to discuss with children safety rules for being near ice-covered bodies of water. Unfortunately, the cases of tragic death of children on the reservoirs during the winter period are annually recorded. Thus, in Orenburg region on November 12, 2021 two small children aged 4 and 6 were on the partially iced surface of the reservoir unaccompanied by adults in Kushkul village. The tragedy could not be avoided, the children died. A criminal case is being investigated on this fact.  On December 4, 2021 in the village Lukyanovo, Serpukhov, Moscow region three schoolchildren went out on the ice-covered pond, and then, leaving the shore at a distance of about 70 meters, two of them fell through the ice. The boy, left on the surface, managed to pull one of his comrades out of the pond, while the second child drowned. Investigators are establishing all the circumstances of what happened.

Tragic cases have also occurred recently in the Arkhangelsk, Lipetsk, Ryazan, Kirov regions, Transbaikal Territory and other regions.

The Investigative Committee of Russia once again emphasizes that children should not be left without adult supervision and any situation that could lead to tragedy should be excluded! Parents and teachers should explain and tell children about the dangers of getting on the fragile ice, and be interested in where the child spends his or her free time, and not allow children to be on bodies of water without supervision in the fall and winter.

In addition, we also encourage adults to follow the rules of conduct on the bodies of water covered with ice, during the winter fishing. For example, in November 2021 in Chuvashia three men aged from 43 to 68 years fell through the ice and drowned while fishing. The cause of death was non-compliance with safety rules when going out on fragile ice.

To prevent such incidents Investigative Committee of Russia conducts joint raids on water bodies with units of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia, organized preventive lessons for children in schools on the rules of safe recreation.

Careless behavior, ignorance of safety rules - the root causes of tragic consequences!

Take care of yourself and your loved ones!

17 December 2021 09:02

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