MOSCOW, August 22. /TASS/. The bodies of all the eight people who took part in an unauthorized group tour of Moscow’s sewers have been found by rescuers, and the search operation is over, a spokesman for Moscow’s emergency services told TASS on Tuesday.
"As of today, all eight members of the group have been found dead. The search operation is over," he said.
On August 20, the group of eight embarked on a guided tour of Moscow’s underground sewer tunnels only to be washed away when a torrential rainstorm caused flooding. The people found themselves trapped underground and had no chance to escape.
Following the incident, criminal charges have been brought under part 3, article 238 of the Russian Criminal Code (providing services that don’t meet safety requirements and that entailed the death of two or more people through negligence). The charge is punishable by up to ten years behind bars.
According to investigators, three people have been identified as being part of the group that organized the unauthorized tour. Alexander Kim, director general of the Sputnik company, which organized the excursion, was detained in St. Petersburg; Nikita Dubas, who organized the ill-fated tour, was detained in Moscow. Police are making efforts to establish the whereabouts of Alexander Lazovsky, CEO of the Avangard company, who is said to be involved in setting up unauthorized trips. The man may currently be staying in Dubai.