MOSCOW, November 27 (Itar-Tass) — The Russian Investigation Committee issued final charges against four defendants in the criminal case over a massive death toll of people in a devastating flood in the town Krymsk, the Krasnodar Territory.

“Former head of the Krymsk municipal district Vasily Krutko, former head of the Krymsk urban settlement Vladimir Ulanovsky and former head of the Nizhnebakansky rural settlement Irina Ryabchenko faced the final accusations under Article 292 Part 2 for forgery by an official and under Article 193 Part 3 of the Criminal Code for negligence,” spokesman for the Russian Investigation Committee Vladimir Markin told Itar-Tass on Tuesday.

“Former acting head of the department for prevention of emergency situations and civil defence of the Krymsk municipal district Viktor Zhdanov was charged under Article 193 Part 3 of the Criminal Code for negligence and under Article 30 Part 3 and Article 159 Part 3 for attempted fraud,” Markin said.

“Being aware about an emergency situation in the Krymsk district in the Krasnodar Territory, the detectives found Krutko, Ulanovsky, Ryabchenko and Zhdanov did not provide for the required warning of the population about the hazard of an emergency situation and the evacuation of people in the safe districts,” Markin said. “The defendants also did not take any measures to avert and minimize possible damages in the emergency situation. This offence resulted in the death of 153 people, the missing of two people and the infliction of a heavy damage to the health of five local residents in the natural disaster on July 6-7, 2012,” Markin noted.

Meanwhile, the detectives found that “Krutko, Ulanovsky and Ryabchenko gave the instructions to their subordinates to draft and file the official documents, which contained the false information about alleged timely actions in this emergency situation.” “In particular, the documents fixed the fact of a meeting of the committee for emergency situations and fire safety, in which they were included, the introduction of the emergency situation regime with the relevant tasks set, warning and saving people. The documents were registered afterwards on July 6, 2012,” Markin remarked.

Zhdanov is also accused of the attempt at fraud in the provision of the one-time material aid to people affected in the flood. The detectives believe that he put his address in the list of damaged houses that his subordinates had made up. “Meanwhile, Zhdanov knew it for sure that his housing was not damaged, but was not even in the flood zone. Despite this fact he and four members of his family were put on the list of people, who were affected in the emergency situation, and claimed for the material aid of 50,000 roubles. These illegal actions were suppressed timely by the detectives,” the spokesman said.

Krutko, Ulanovsky and Zhdanov remain in custody, Ryabchenko was put on recognizance not to leave the city.

The investigation in the criminal case continues.

A devastating flood, which broke out in the Krasnodar Territory in early July, killed 153 people and damaged over 4,000 house holdings in the town Krymsk.