A gas fitter will appear in court in the case of the collapse of a multi-story building in Cherkessk.

In Karachay-Cherkessia, a criminal investigation has been completed into the collapse of a five-story building following a gas explosion in one of the apartments, which killed five people. The defendant in the case is a gas distribution company employee, accused of providing services that did not meet safety requirements.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," on October 31, 2024, a gas-air mixture explosion occurred in an apartment building on Lobodina Street in Cherkessk. Eleven people were injured, five of whom died. About 50 residents of the building were evacuated. A state of emergency was in effect in the city for several days.

The Investigative Committee has completed its criminal investigation into a gas distribution company plumber. He is charged with committing a crime under Part 3 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (performing work and providing services that do not meet the requirements for the safety of life and health of consumers, resulting in the death of two or more persons through negligence).

The investigation believes that on September 12, 2023, the man was performing maintenance on gas equipment in one of the apartments in this building, but did not properly check the condition of the polymer gas hose used to connect the stove to the gas line. According to investigators, the hose had technical malfunctions that prevented its safe use.

"Instead of cutting off the gas supply to the apartment, the defendant drew up a report on the allegedly completed maintenance of the equipment in full and left the residential building," the Investigative Committee of the Karachay-Cherkess Republic noted on its Telegram channel. "As a result of his improper performance of his professional duties, the aforementioned equipment became depressurized, which led to a leak and accumulation of natural gas in the apartment."

When the accumulated gas mixed with air to form an explosive mixture, a bang occurred and the apartment building partially collapsed. After a lengthy investigation, the investigators deemed the collected evidence sufficient to forward the criminal case to court with an approved indictment.

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