a case was initiated about fire safety violations in “Crocus”

The Investigative Committee of Russia opened a criminal case for negligence in connection with possible violations of fire safety rules in the Crocus City Hall near Moscow, which was attacked on March 22. This was reported by the TASS state agency with reference to a source in the law enforcement agencies, but it has not yet been officially announced that the case has been initiated.

According to TASS, the suspect was the person responsible for fire safety of the concert hall, as well as the head of the Crocus fire brigade. Their names are not mentioned. It is confirmed that they are under a stay-at-home order. It is not reported when the case was initiated and the measure of suppression was chosen.

Several (according to the investigation – four) attackers at “Crocus City Hall” first opened fire on people, and then set fire to the auditorium and left the building. The concert hall was almost completely burned down. Many of the dead, according to available data, were victims of the fire, and were not shot. According to TASS, violations of fire safety rules “could aggravate the situation after the fire of the concert hall.”

In particular, some eyewitnesses claimed that the automatic fire extinguishing system did not work in the hall. With reference to a source in the investigative bodies, RIA Novosti wrote in particular that the part of the automated fire extinguishing system responsible for the supply of water and powder did not work in the concert hall. Also, the mass media wrote that the materials with which the walls were finished could contribute to the rapid development of the fire. The Crocus Group company stated that this is not the case. The owner of the company, Araz Agalarov, claimed that the fire extinguishing system “worked normally” during the terrorist attack, and that it was even “asked to turn it off at 4 in the morning, because it was working in the burned building.” According to Agalarov, fire protection systems “supported the hall for several hours in such a state that there was no collapse, so that people had the opportunity to leave.”

According to official data, 144 people became victims of the attack on “Crocus City Hall”, dozens remain on the lists of missing persons. Earlier, a criminal case was initiated about the terrorist attack, according to which more than 10 people were arrested, including, as it is claimed, the immediate perpetrators. Apparently, the negligence case is being investigated separately from the main case.

The Afghan cell of the recognized terrorist organization “Islamic State” announced that she had become the organizer of the terrorist attack. Among those detained are citizens of Central Asian countries. The Russian authorities talk about some Ukrainian trace, official Kyiv denies any involvement in the attack on Crocus.