Shelekhov Tractor Driver to Stand Trial for Fatal Fall of Workers
A tractor basket failure during tree removal led to the deaths of two workers in Shelekhov.
A tractor driver from the Shelekhov municipal institution «City Services and Improvement» will stand trial in the case of the death of two workers who fell from a 7-meter height while cutting down a tree, as reported on January 28 in the Telegram channel of the Irkutsk Region prosecutor«s office.
The incident occurred on June 11, 2025, in the 6th microdistrict of Shelekhov. The workers ascended in the tractor«s basket to cut down a hazardous poplar tree. At some point, the basket detached from the boom along with the workers.
After that, the two men were taken to the hospital; both died despite all efforts by medics who tried to save the victims.
A criminal case was initiated under Article 216 of the Russian Criminal Code, «Violation of safety rules during work, resulting through negligence in the death of two persons.» The investigation accuses the defendant of violating established safety rules: the tractor driver allowed two workers into a single-person basket simultaneously, exceeding its load capacity.
