Several explosions in succession struck a residential area in industrial Dnipropetrovsk on Saturday, October 13, ripping off parts of the roof, blowing out windows, and reducing a part of the 10 floor apartment building to rubble. Damage was also caused to adjacent sections of the building and neighboring dwellings. As a result of the explosion the gas supply to 5,200 apartment buildings in the region was switched off and a criminal case was launched. Investigators said that one possible cause of the blast was a sharp increase in pressure in the pipes and outdated equipment.
Gas company accused of negligence
Residents told the investigation that shortly before the blast they saw two men in black jackets arriving in a unmarked vehicle working with gas vents. The men were later identified as the general director of the Dniprogaz private gas operator and his deputy.
The two top managers and the company’s chief engineer were later arrested on suspicion of gross professional negligence. Regional prosecutors said that USD 2 million was offered to release the men on bail, but officials did not elaborate.
Ukraine’s Prosecutor General Oleksandr Medvedko, meanwhile, did not rule out that the number of suspects in the case would grow. Prosecutors have so far frozen Dniprogaz properties and assets worth an estimated UAH 9 million.
Yulia Tymoshenko, who is expected to be named shortly as Ukraine’s next prime minister, said that the detention of gas company officials was insufficient in order to tackle the problem.
“We have a tradition of finding some middle-ranking employee and offering him up as a sacrifice. In theory, it is the owners of this gas distribution system who must assume responsibility,” she said, stressing that any companies failing to meet professional standards could risk losing ownership and seeing their assets revert to state ownership.
She called for a national audit of safety standards in the gas and power distribution systems and proposed calling a session the National Security Council, if necessary even before the new government is formed, to implement emergency measures.
Paying tribute to the victims
President Viktor Yushchenko declared last Tuesday a day of public mourning for victims of the blast. Flags on public buildings flew at half mast or with black trim or ribbons.
The cabinet allocated UAH 100 million to combat the extensive material damage suffered by residents of the building. Local authorities have agreed to re-house all residents who lost their homes in the blast, and a land plot has already been allocated for construction of a new building to house those who lost their apartments.
Rinat Akhmetov, Ukraine’s richest man and an influential politician with the Party of Regions, also pledged to contribute UAH 10 million to help victims recover from the material losses caused by the tragedy. “Our duty is not to stay away, but to support every family in these difficult times. We should help all those suffering without exception to restore their confidence in the future, to bring them back to a normal life,” Akhmetov said.
Russian billionaire Viktor Vekselberg also promised to donate large sums to the families of victims. He is under fire as the owner of Gazeks, which manages Dniprogaz.
