Video released from schoolboy death scene in Nyazepetrovsk
Investigators and housing utility officials are determining who will be held responsible for the open manhole that caused a child's death in Nyazepetrovsk, Chelyabinsk Region.
Feb 27, 2026 0
The investigative video depicts the manhole«s location adjacent to a snow-covered pedestrian path in a residential area.
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The tragedy occurred in Nyazepetrovsk, Chelyabinsk Region, where a nine-year-old boy died after falling into a manhole.
Authorities confirmed the deceased was a third-grade student from a local school in the Chelyabinsk region.
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The child went missing on his way to school, after which active searches began on social media.
Employees of the regional Investigative Committee office worked at the site all night, and on the afternoon of January 29, they published a video recording from the scene.
The footage shows that the manhole was located away from roads and sidewalks, with only paths visible in the snowdrifts nearby.
The well was covered with a piece of linoleum and a layer of snow.
A commission from the Ministry of Housing and Communal Services, led by Deputy Minister Elena Shevtsova, is working in the city.
Officials are checking documentation on improvements and site plans to determine who is responsible for the dangerous well.
The head of Russia«s Investigative Committee has requested a report on the investigation into the criminal case of causing death by negligence due to improper performance of professional duties.
Under Part 2 of Article 109 of the Criminal Code, the following types of punishment are provided:
- restriction or deprivation of liberty for up to three years;
- forced labor for the same term with possible deprivation of the right to hold certain positions or engage in certain activities.
The deceased boy was being raised in a large family, where the parents care for two younger children as well.
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