Criminal case opened against owner of farm where 5 Uzbeks died in fire

A criminal case has been opened against Elena Sobina, the daughter of the former Minister of Agriculture of the Udmurt Republic of Russia, following a fire that broke out in a dormitory for migrant workers in the village of Malorechensk. This was reported by "Business Online".

“I hope that the investigation will be fair and impartial, and will consider all the details of the case. We have provided assistance to the victims, and we are not going to hide from the investigation,” Sobina said.

The criminal case against Sobina includes charges of "providing services that do not meet safety requirements," "cold-bloodedness," "organizing illegal migration," and "violating fire safety requirements." However, Sobina has not pleaded guilty. Additionally, the director of the Mir company, Vladimir Chaika, was also detained.

By court order, Sobina has been placed under house arrest until February 24, 2025. According to her lawyer, Rahim Bayramov, three relatives of the deceased were paid 1.5 million rubles in compensation (although only one person was officially recognized as a victim). The remaining relatives have not yet received any compensation due to Western sanctions. The lawyer added that Sobina voluntarily approached investigators.

The initial version of the investigation states that in 2023, the head of the farm rented a non-residential building in the village to accommodate workers. The general director of the farm was supposed to ensure the proper conditions for the building’s operation, while the head of the farm was responsible for complying with fire safety regulations. However, none of these requirements were met. In particular, it was found that the facility lacked round-the-clock supervision, and there were no automatic fire alarm systems, notification, or evacuation control systems.

The fire broke out on December 24, 2023, around 3:00 a.m. in a dormitory for workers of the Mir company. The fire destroyed an area of 300 square meters. Of the 39 people living in the building, 33 survived. Among the dead were five citizens of Uzbekistan and one resident of Udmurtia. The victims were identified as 48-year-old A.B., 59-year-old Kh.Kh., 54-year-old Zh.U., 29-year-old B.N., and 22-year-old S.D.