Investigators Open Case Over Cold in Engels Apartments

In Engels, investigators have opened a criminal case against employees of a heating supply company due to low temperatures and a lack of hot water in a number of buildings. This was revealed at a meeting dedicated to heating problems.

The deputy head of the investigative department in Engels, Ravid Nagiev, conducted it on the instruction of the head of the regional Investigative Committee (SK) — Dmitry Kostin. Local officials, representatives of managing organizations, and the resource-supplying company itself were invited to the meeting.

Earlier, 164.ru reported that residents of houses at Volgogradsky Lane, 1, Stepnaya, 35A, 37 and 39, Zeleny Lane, 20 and others recorded a video appeal to the head of the Russian Investigative Committee, Alexander Bastrykin. They claim that with the onset of frost, the temperature in their apartments dropped to 13–15 degrees Celsius (55–59°F). Residents of Engels are signaling problems to the Engels administration, but officials in response report that the emergency situation has been eliminated, and the supply of heating and hot water is being provided in full. Residents say that their houses are serviced by LLC «Teploresurs», and they are billed in full for heating and hot water.

After that, Bastrykin demanded that Kostin look into the situation and report on the preliminary results. The press service of the regional Investigative Committee clarified that at the meeting, the applicants were heard, explanations were received from the controlling authorities, and the position of the resource-supplying company itself was heard. The case under the article on providing services that do not meet safety requirements (Part 1 of Article 238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation) was opened based on numerous appeals from residents.

«As part of the investigation, their arguments will be checked, exhaustive measures will be taken aimed at establishing the guilty persons, checking the maliciousness of their behavior, and also at establishing the circumstances that contributed to the development of this situation,» emphasized the department.