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Court upholds verdict for former officials sentenced for negligence during Krymsk flood

Krymsk was the worst-hit town in the area, reporting 153 of a total of 168 fatalities

© ITAR-TASS/Ivan Chumash

KRASNODAR, December 20, 3:30 /ITAR-TASS/. Krasnodar Territory Court on Thursday upheld the verdict for the former officials sentenced for negligence during the devastating flood in Krymsk in the summer of 2012.

Head of the Krymsky district administration Vasily Krutko was sentenced to six years, Krymsk mayor Vladimir Ulanovsky received three years and six months, and former acting head of the emergencies and civil defense department of the Krymsky district Viktor Zhdanov was sentenced to four years and six months. All are serving their sentences in penal colonies. Head of the Nizhnebakansky settlement Irina Ryabchenko was given a three-year-and six-month suspended sentence, with three years' probation.

The officials are banned from taking civil service jobs for three years after serving their sentences.

"The appeals board turned down all the four petitions, upholding the verdict by the Abinsk district court," the court's press service told Itar-Tass.

In 2012, heavy rain caused the worst flooding in the history of the Krasnodar territory. Ten settlements, including Gelendzhik, Novorossiisk and Krymsk were affected. Krymsk was the worst-hit town in the area, reporting 153 of a total of 168 fatalities. Three people died in Novorossiysk and 12 in Gelendzhik.

The authorities recognized 53,000 people as injured parties. Of those, 29,000 lost all their property. Damage caused by the disaster was estimated at 20 billion roubles, 7,200 houses were inundated and more than 1,650 houses were completely ruined.

During the trial, which began on May 15, the court questioned more than 2,500 witnesses and recognized 137 people as injured parties. Documents for the case run to more than 200 volumes.

The court said Krutko, Ulanovsky, Ryabchenko and Zhdanov had the information about the upcoming emergency but failed to take proper measures.

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