Today investigators of the Main Investigations Directorate of the Russia’s Investigative Committee have detained two on the suspicions of transportation safety breach (part 3 of article 263.1 of the RF Penal Code). They are senior track supervisor of Moscow Underground Railway Valery Bashkarov and his assitant Yuri Gordov.
According to investigators, preparatory work was carried out on a section between Park Pobedy and Slavyansky Boulevard stations since late May 2014 to make a switch mechanism for a new section. A number of contractors and subcontractors were involved. Bashkatov and Gordov were employed to do the job and supervise it. The investigators believe that the work was done poorly: the switch was fixed by a piece of ordinary 3-mm wire which snapped. This entailed derailment of a metro train killing 21 people and injuring over 150 more.
The detainees have already been questioned. Soon investigators are going to press charges and request restraint.
I would like to stress that as yet there are naturally only those workers under suspicion, who were engaged in preliminary works, which the investigators believe caused the accident. But the investigators make decisions based only on the evidence. And for the moment the evidence confirm the version, which I have voiced, of involvement of those particular persons.
But the investigation as you know moves step-by-step and continues restoring the chronology of events prior to the tragedy. At the moment a number of complex technical, chemical and other tests are underway, which undoubtedly require time. We are also checking whether the contractors and subcontractors had adequate licenses to perform the works in Moscow metro. Other procedural operations are underway, but we can’t let out the details yet in the interest of the investigation.
However, at this point we can say that the circle of suspects will be widening. In the first place, because Bashkatov and Gordov have superiors and there are also corresponding supervising services in charge of transportation security. So, I repeat, we can be sure that all who had a hand in the crash will be prosecuted for that whatever ranks or previous merits they have.
Head of Media Relations V.I. Markin
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