The investigation into the gas explosion at a five-story apartment building in Tagil has been completed.

      The First Department for Particularly Important Cases of the Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation for the Sverdlovsk Region has completed the investigation of a criminal case into the gas explosion in the five‑story building at 81 Sibirskaya Street in Nizhny Tagil in August last year, KP‑Ekaterinburg has learned. As a result of the collapse of the structures, 11 people were killed, six of them children.

      Three employees of the company Gazex have been charged. According to the investigation, during an inspection of gas equipment carried out in the building on June 24, the inspectors — fitters Alexander Erykin, Alexander Alimov, and foreman Maxim Grivsky — did not replace the hose in apartment No. 2 on the first floor, writes KP‑Ekaterinburg.

      The owner of the apartment, Elena Serbinova, explained that the apartment had been vacant. But on the day of the tragedy her 12‑year‑old daughter Polina was there with friends.

      Investigators believe that the children smelled gas and decided to check the stove, which led to the gas explosion.

      But, according to Elena Serbinova’s lawyer Alexey Goltsev, it is now impossible to establish what caused the gas leak.

      “Supposedly she sealed over the hose, thereby preventing Gazex employees from inspecting the equipment. They had come two weeks before the explosion; there were no complaints,” Alexey Goltsev told KP‑Ekaterinburg.

      Gazex employees are charged under part 3 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code (“Provision of services that do not meet safety requirements”). Elena Serbinova has been charged under three articles of the Russian Criminal Code — 109, 118, and 168 (“Causing the death of two or more persons by negligence,” “Causing grievous bodily harm by negligence,” “Destruction or damage of property by negligence”). The investigation into her is still ongoing.

      It should be recalled that after the collapse of two stairwells the Khrushchyovka was declared unsafe and demolished. Eleven fir trees were planted on the site of the former building — one in memory of each person who died.