Prosecution Seeks 8.5 Years for Water Concessions Engineer Over 6 Deaths
The case is being heard by the Krasnoarmeysky District Court in Volgograd.
In the Krasnoarmeysky District Court of Volgograd, the closing arguments have begun in the criminal case about the explosion at sewage pumping station No. 4, where 6 people died. The defendant is the chief engineer of «Koncessii Vodosnabzheniya» (Water Supply Concessions), Dmitry Lebedev.
The prosecution has requested an 8.5-year prison term for the engineer in connection with the fatal blast.
Recall that on the night of July 5, 2024, at KNS No. 4 in the Krasnoarmeysky district, an electric motor burned out. Moreover, on that day, employees of the EMERGENCIES Ministry recorded that the permissible levels of carbon dioxide were exceeded by 58 times and hydrogen sulfide by 8 times at the facility. With the help of an additional ventilator installed in the room, the concentration of the dangerous gas was reduced. But on that day, foreman Mikhail Kurakin died at the station.
On the next day, the chief engineer of LLC «Koncessii Vodosnabzheniya» (Water Supply Concessions) Dmitry Lebedev gave instructions to install an additional exhaust system at the sewage pumping station. The delivery and installation of which were carried out by the shift supervisor, an electric and gas welder, and three repair fitters under his instructions. During the work on the day of July 6, an explosion that destroyed the building of KNS-4 thundered at the station.
As a result of the explosion, five people who were at KNS-4 at that moment died: shift supervisor Yuri Zuev, welder Vladimir Kuznetsov, fitter Oleg Korolchenko, electrician-fitter Mikhail Khokhlov, and fitter Alexander Shestopalov. The body of the last victim was found only on July 20.
Today, the closing arguments of the parties are taking place in the Krasnoarmeysky District Court. Our V1.RU correspondents are in the courtroom. According to correspondent Irina Yakovleva, the prosecution has requested 8 years and 6 months of imprisonment for Dmitry Lebedev.
«The prosecutor believes that the guilt has been proven, and the punishment of 8 years and 6 months of imprisonment with deprivation of the right to engage in activities related to responsibility for the life and health of subordinates for 3 years. The sentence is to be served in a settlement colony, and the pre-trial restraint remains unchanged.»
According to the correspondent, the defense believes that the explosion occurred due to the huge content of oil in the wastewater — over 194 tons — exceeding the maximum permissible concentration levels, and violations of official instructions by the station workers themselves on the day of the explosion.
«The additional ventilation was not installed due to lack of funding, which Lebedev does not control,» the journalist conveys the defense«s words. »The defense asks to acquit him.«
Everything that is happening in the courtroom, we are covering in online mode.
