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Kuban creates operations centre to help tourists’ families

The Italian authorities may open a criminal case over the accident

KRASNODAR, January 5 (Itar-Tass) — An operations centre has been set up in Kuban to provide aid to families of Russian tourists, who were killed and injured in Italy, the Krasnodar Territory administration told Itar-Tass.

“We convey sympathies to the next-of-kin. In order to provide aid we’ve set up the operations centre. We open the hotline to get information. Of course, if it necessary we will provide any aid to families of dead Russian tourists and render psychological and organisational assistance,” governor Alexander Tkachev said.

As a result of the accident six Russian tourists from the Krasnodar Territory have been killed and other two Russians have received serious injuries and carried to Trento Hospital. Doctors consider their condition grave.

According to the Russian consulate’s staff, Denis Kravchenko, Irina Kravchenko, Vyacheslav Sleptsov, Yulia Yudina, Lyudmila Yudina and Rafilya Pshenichnaya were killed. The latest worked at the Italian tourist sector. Azat Yagafarov, who is also a tour operator and drove the snowmobile, has been also injured. He and Boris Yudin are in Trento Hospital.

Executive director of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia, Maya Lomidze, told Itar-Tass that Russian citizens had taken an insurance policy at the sum of 30,000 euros. They arrived in Italy from Krasnodar by Danko Travel Tour Operator.

Boris Yudin is in heavy, but stable condition. He is in a neurological ward. He has injuries of internal organs. A consulate representative talked with him. The patient asked to help his son return to Krasnodar to his relatives, Paramonov said, noting that 17-year-old Vyacheslav Yudin did not participate in the night snowmobile ride.

Yagafarov, 58, is to undergo two orthopedic operations. He has compound limb fractures.

The two survivors are conscious. An official consulate representative talked with them. Though there is no threat to their lives, they will remain under the care of doctors for a long time, the consul said.

Yagafarov who worked at the resort will be questioned by an investigator. It was him who was driving the snowmobile that ran off the route to a steep slope and tumbled from a height of about 100 metres. One of the versions is speeding in the difficult mountain area. Another version is technical malfunction of the snowmobile.

The Italian authorities may open a criminal case over the accident.

The Consulate General in Milan maintains contacts with the Italian authorities and services that investigate the crash causes and with the administration of the hospital. The consulate does everything for the injured people to receive good medical care.