Mass blackout in Russian Arctic leads to criminal negligence case

Residents of Murmansk and Severomorsk were left without light and heat. The region has introduced a state of high alert due to accidents on the power lines of the company Rosseti.

«No heating since yesterday and no light all night!!!! In the dark. Everything is without power,» residents of the region share in the «Murmansk Accidents and Emergencies» group on VKontakte.

Many still have no heating, and cold water is running from the tap.

According to Governor Andrey Chibis, restoration work is continuing. He asked residents to be understanding of the measures being taken.

«Due to emergency situations that occurred on the lines of Rosseti, the region is introducing a state of high alert. Temporary power outages in the city of Murmansk and the closed administrative-territorial formation of Severomorsk will continue for now,» the head of the region noted in his Telegram channel.

Moreover, due to the «electricity collapse» in some districts of the regional capital, trolleybuses stopped, escalators in shopping centers did not work, elevators in houses were out, and traffic lights on the roads went out. All of this happened because ice and frost formed on the power lines, which likely led to the collapse of the pylons and a partial power outage, the press service of Rosseti North-West reported. The Investigative Committee has initiated a criminal case under the article «Negligence.»

«As a result of the failure by officials of the grid organization to take timely measures for the current maintenance of the power lines in proper condition, as well as the failure to take urgent measures in response to emergency power outages, a critical voltage drop and mass disconnection of power consumers occurred in Murmansk and the settlements of the closed administrative-territorial formation of Severomorsk, including at critical infrastructure facilities,» the department«s message on the Telegram channel says.

Currently, the emergency services of the region are working in enhanced mode. Rosseti has been instructed to use all available resources for the rapid restoration of the power lines. The head of the region reported that five pylons collapsed. Replacements for the collapsed pylons are being brought from Leningrad Oblast and Karelia.

According to Chibis, power supply has been restored to all boiler houses. He promised that in the near future, heat will gradually start returning to the homes of local residents.

Updated 10:30 (Moscow time): Restoration of power supply after the accident in Murmansk Oblast will take at least a day. Heat is already being supplied to houses, and boiler houses are working stably, said the head of the region, Chibis.