Criminal negligence case opened after Darasun heating pipe rupture
The Investigative Committee has opened a criminal case under Part 1 of Article 293 of the Russian Criminal Code («Negligence») concerning the improper performance of duties by officials in the village of Darasun, Karymsky District, and the Ministry of Housing and Utilities (MinZHKKH) of Zabaykalsky Krai. This was reported on 23 January in the agency«s Telegram channel.
According to investigators, the officials improperly performed their legally mandated duties in preparing for the 2025–2026 heating season in Darasun.
Their inaction led to an accident on a heating main on 21 January, which caused a complete heating shutdown during severe frosts. 2,250 consumers were left without heat, including minors and disabled persons. Indoor air temperatures fell below the optimal levels established by sanitary norms, creating a threat to life and health.
Investigators are examining the scene, have requested necessary documents, and are questioning officials and affected citizens.
The Investigative Committee had previously opened a criminal negligence case due to a similar heating main rupture in Atamanovka, where about 3,000 people were left without heat.
According to the latest information, heating is already being reconnected in Darasun.
The boiler house in Darasun is operated by Darasunskaya Energeticheskaya Kompaniya LLC (Darasun Energy Company), owned by Vladimir Zabelin, a well-known entrepreneur and political figure in Zabaykalsky Krai who headed the Chita city administration from 2014 to 2016. He also owns and manages several dozen other companies, including the controversial Teploenergoservis LLC – the boiler house of the Mashzavod (Machine-Building Plant) in Chita, whose consumers were switched to central heating from TGC-14 in 2025.
Assistance in resolving the problem in Darasun is being provided by Energiya JSC at the request of the regional Ministry of Housing and Utilities, similar to how other companies helped during the heating problem in Atamanovka. About 20 people and three pieces of equipment were involved in fixing the accident.
Residents of Darasun complained about cooling radiators on 21 January after a rupture occurred on a main heating line. 17 apartment buildings and a secondary school were left without heat. Initially, the rupture was patched with clamps, and homes were switched to a backup supply scheme overnight. As the clamp did not help, it was decided to lay a new section of pipeline above ground. Five teams of welders from Energiya JSC were dispatched to fix the accident.
A state of emergency was declared in the village on 22 January due to the heating main accident, as a threat to residents« welfare emerged. The village requested volunteers to help go door-to-door to bleed air from radiators. Emergency services personnel brought heat guns to the village to maintain temperatures in building entrances, which were also needed to heat half of a dormitory at 2 Pochtovaya Street. Additionally, a temporary accommodation point with a capacity of 120 people was prepared in the settlement of Karymskoye. On the morning of 23 January, the head of Karymsky District, Oleg Pavlov, spoke about the progress of the heating network repairs.
