MOSCOW, July 17. /ITAR-TASS/. The suspects in Moscow metro crash case — track maintenance superintendent of Moscow’s subway Valery Bashkatov and assistant to track supervisor Yuri Gordov have been brought to the Basmanny district court of Moscow to get a pre-trial restraint.

“The detained have been brought to court, and the investigator’s requests for imposing a pre-trial restraint are expected soon,” the court’s spokesperson Anna Fadeyeva told ITAR-TASS.

According to the investigation, since late May 2014, in the tunnel between Park Pobedy and Slavyanskiy Bulvar stations preparatory works started to lay in a switch for further launch of a new section. Several contractors and subcontractors were involved in these works. Track maintenance superintendent of Moscow’s subway Valery Bashkatov and assistant to track supervisor Yuri Gordov were directly relevant to the implementation of these works and control over them. The investigation believes the works were made inappropriately: the switch mechanism was secured with an ordinary 3mm wire that broke. This led to the derailment of the train, death of 22 people (according to official data from the Ministry of Emergencies. — ITAR-TASS) and injuries of more than 150 passengers.

 

Searches conducted in offices of Moscow Metro and other companies

Meanwhile, sources close to the matter reported on Thursday that searches have been conducted in the offices of the Moscow Metro enterprise and several other companies in connection with the metro crash case.

“The necessary documents have been seized; investigative actions including the inspection of documents are being carried out since yesterday,” the sources said.

They added that the searches were made in the structures of Moscow Metro State Unitary Enterprise and the construction and investment company Ingeokom that is engaged in constructing the tunnel of the new metro line parallel to the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line, where the accident took place.

However, law enforcement agencies and Russia’s Investigative Committee refuse to comment on these reports.

 

What happened in the Moscow metro

July 15, a major accident occurred in the Moscow subway. In the rush hour, three train cars derailed in the tunnel between the Park Pobedy and Slavyanskiy Bulvar stations.

More than 20 people died and about 200 were injured.

The investigation believes the violations of standards in laying-in the switch in this section may be the cause of the accident. In particular, the Investigative Committee reported that the switch was secured with an ordinary wire that broke.