"They were dared": details emerge about the deaths of teenagers in a private house in a horrific fire near Serov

      Details have emerged about the tragedy in the cottage settlement "Sovkhoz Yubileyny" near Serov, where 14‑year‑old Andrey and 12‑year‑old Polina died. Recall that a fire completely destroyed a garden cottage there and nearly claimed the lives of several other teenagers.

      As law enforcement previously reported, one of the boys took the dacha keys from his mother without permission. According to the publication "KP‑Yekaterinburg," the minors began gathering at around 3:00 a.m. on January 1 — that is, on New Year's night. The 17‑year‑old boy is considered responsible.

      According to Valery Gorelykh, press secretary of the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for Sverdlovsk Oblast, the night passed quietly.

      — At around noon on January 1 the kids, probably because they were cold, decided to light the stove. One of them poured a flammable liquid into the stove (investigators are determining in what quantity). The building then caught fire. Someone managed to run outside; two teenagers failed to escape, — Colonel Gorelykh noted.

      But eyewitnesses told the families a different version. They claim the 17‑year‑old responsible was drunk and poured starter fluid into the stove on a dare.

      — He was dared. Andrey was sleeping by the stove and died instantly. Polina could have gotten out but did not wake up in the smoke. The others, including Polina's sister, ran out through the windows. It is also known that the mother of one of the boys bought this dacha very recently, — a friend of the group told the media.

      According to the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the house caught fire closer to noon. The fire covered an area of 53 square meters. It took about 45 minutes to extinguish.

      The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under the article "Causing death by negligence to two persons." The teenager was detained. He may face up to four years in a penal colony.