Volgograd: tenants of collapsed house complain about officials' indifference and meager compensation

The "Caucasian Knot" has interviewed tenants of the multi-storey residential building collapsed in Volgograd. The people affected by the incident have claimed that officials force them to rewrite appeals, express negligent attitude to the demands of the victims and subject them to the red tape in the processing of the necessary certificates. The tenants are also not satisfied with the compensation in the amount of 30,000 roubles and the uncertainty concerning the compensation for housing.

"The attitude to the victims is of a purely formal nature. Today, starting from the very morning, I was trying to resolve the issue of payments. I phoned them, but received no response. I came here, and now it turns out that I need to receive a new certificate from the Ministry for Emergencies," said Viktor Zhileikin, one of the tenants of the collapsed house.

Vitaly Melnikov, another tenant of the collapsed house, also criticized the actions of the officials.

"My mother is a disabled person, and she requires care. In two weeks, my wife is to give birth to a child. And I have heard no offers of assistance, and I do not know whom I should address for help," Vitaly Melnikov told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Meanwhile, according to the tenant of the collapsed house, "the media highlight the situation as covered by a thick layer of gloss," and "they fail to describe the real situation and the condition of the people."

"We have received 20,000 roubles, and now they promise to pay other 10,000 roubles. However, what can we do for 30,000 roubles? We can do nothing. I do not work for the third day. To get 10,000 roubles, I spend two days for visiting officials and for writing and re-writing the appeals. To get 10,000 roubles, I need an entire folder of papers," complains Vitaly Melnikov.

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.