MOSCOW, September 19 (RIA Novosti) – Two criminal cases have been opened over the alleged negligence of unnamed officials during the ongoing record floods in Russia’s Far East, investigators said Thursday.
One of the cases was launched in connection with a dam that was destroyed by flood waters on August 10 in the Amur Region. According to a statement by the Investigative Committee, the dam had not been properly maintained, and as a result, the water was not contained and flooded 69 residential buildings in a nearby town. The damages totaled some 27 million rubles ($853,000), the statement said.
The second negligence case was opened in the neighboring Jewish Autonomous Region over the alleged failure of officials from the land irrigation and water supply department to carry out their duties. The resulting damages cost the federal budget over 1.5 million rubles ($47,200), the statement said, without mentioning any suspects. The charges carry a maximum punishment of up to three months in detention.
The current flooding in Russia’s Far East, which according to Russian meteorologists is the worst in the region in 120 years, has been going on for weeks and has affected thousands of houses, prompting evacuation from at least four regions.
