Four people have died in a Moscow shopping center after a hot water pipe burst

Four people died in the Moscow shopping center “Vremena Goda” on Kutuzovsky Prospect due to a burst hot water pipe. Dozens of people were injured. According to TASS, all the dead were employees of the Globus Gourmet hypermarket, where a pipe burst. Some sources mention 70 victims, others mention 50 people who suffered burns of varying severity. Of these, at least three were hospitalized.

The Shot Telegram channel reports nine hospitalized, and RIA Novosti mentions that about 18 people were locked inside the shopping center building.

The Investigative Committee has already launched a criminal investigation into the deaths of four people in the Vremena Goda shopping center under Art. 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation (provision of services that do not meet safety requirements and negligence resulted in the death of two or more people). The maximum penalty under this article provides for imprisonment of up to 10 years.

One mall worker told the Mash channel that the mall’s alarm was not working when the pipe burst – no sound was heard. Everyone in the building was calm until they found out about the incident via the Internet. Later, signs of a pipe rupture were seen, such as hot steam rising from the side of the escalator.

According to the city services, the accident occurred on devices and heating networks belonging to the shopping center, but the reasons for the pipe bursting have not yet been reported.

Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that all municipal services and employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations are working on the spot and providing assistance to the victims. He called the Vremen Goda accident a “serious accident” and expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the victims.