Mayor of Rostov-on-Don announces dismissal of officials after flooding

Sergey Gorban, the chief of the city administration of Rostov-on-Don, has criticized the activities of officials of the city department for civil defence and emergencies during a flooding, which hit the city on June 30. The City Mayor has announced the dismissal of the chief of the city department for civil defence and emergencies.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that in the evening of June 30, the centre of Rostov-on-Don and a number of city residential districts were flooded. A 14-year-old girl was killed, and eight other persons were injured. A petition demanding dismissal of Sergey Gorban has been posted on the website Change.org.

On July 4, while making a tour through the city, Sergey Gorban told journalists that he had carefully examined the activities of the city department for civil defence and emergencies during the rainstorm and concluded that "the chief of the department and some other officials worked not actively enough during the rainstorm."

"The Rostov city department for civil defence and emergencies employs 78 officials, and I have questions about their activities. I do understand that they did not do their best during the rainstorm," stated Sergey Gorban.

The City Mayor has announced that he will make a decision concerning the chief of the Rostov city department for civil defence and emergencies, and some of subordinates will be dismissed together with their chief.

Meanwhile, Sergey Gorban has also reported that an operator of the rescue service was dismissed after the flooding, since during the rainstorm, she refused to help children.

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