Bastrykin orders case after icicle injures pensioner

An elderly woman was hospitalized after a massive icicle fell on her head in Rostov-on-Don. The incident has prompted a criminal investigation by the Russian Investigative Committee.

Apr 22, 2026

Rostov residents have long complained about the failure to clear icicles from rooftops in a timely manner.
Source:
Yevgeny Sofiychuk / NGS55.RU

On January 31, on Kommunisticheskaya Street, 1/4 in Rostov-on-Don, a massive icicle fell from the roof of a residential building, hitting a pensioner on the head as she walked on the sidewalk. The victim was taken to the hospital.

The head of the Investigative Committee of Russia (SK), Alexander Bastrykin, instructed to open a criminal case regarding this incident. The investigation is being conducted by the SK«s investigative department for the Rostov region.

Bastrykin also ordered the head of the regional investigative committee, Aslan Khuade, to submit a report on the established circumstances and the results of the investigation upon its completion.

«The execution of the instruction has been put under control in the central apparatus of the department,» the press service of the Investigative Committee of Russia reported.

The head of the Sovetsky District, Nikita Paremuzov, stated that «necessary work» will be carried out regarding the management company servicing the building. Many residents of Rostov complain about the systematic lack of icicle removal from the roofs of their houses.