Main version of hostels' collapse in Astrakhan is in building reconstruction

One of the main versions of the house downfall in Astrakhan is an illegal reconstruction with rearrangement of hostel rooms into apartments with violation of safety rules at civil works, which resulted in damaging the integrity of load-bearing walls. Today, this was reported by the Investigatory Committee at the Prosecutor's Office (ICPO).

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that the five-floor hostel of the "Progress" Factory located in the Savushkina Street collapsed in the morning on July 22. In total, the collapsed part of the building was inhabited by 50 persons; four residents were hospitalized. Search of casualties lasted for two days; and five bodies were found under fragments. Also, in the collapse of the hostel, 16 persons were injured; most of them refused to go to hospital.

The ICPO has reported that after rearrangement of rooms into apartments cracks began to appear in the walls of the house. Instead of major repairs, the rooms were populated by citizens from shabby and emergency houses located in Zhelyabova, Kibalchicha and Gorkogo Streets, the ITAR-TASS reports.

"This could happen only as a result of dishonest attitude of officials in charge to their duties," the Office has added.

Employees of the ICPO, who are now investigating the case initiated on the fact of the collapse, have re-qualified the case into more stringent articles of the Criminal Code, which envision imprisonment for up to 10 years with deprivation of the right to take certain positions or be engaged in certain activities for the term of up to three years, the "Interfax" reports.

The government of the Astrakhan Region will pay 110,000 roubles of compensation to every family, as noted by the "Lenta.ru". The residents, who lost their housings, were temporarily accommodated into a city school. Every family that had earlier lived in the destroyed part of the building will also get 20,000 roubles from the city budget. Mayor of Astrakhan Sergey Bozhenov also ordered to send suffered children to children's camps on the Black Sea shore.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that a similar case happened in Astrakhan on August 1, 2008. Then, the second floor of the apartment block in the Kirov District crushed down. Fortunately, at that moment, most of the tenants were absent; only a lady-pensioner received bodily injuries and was hospitalized with an arm fracture.