Press Release, July 7, 2013

YABLOKO’s activists participated in the action in memory of the victims of the tragedy in Krimsk. The action was conducted at the observation platform of the Sparrow Hills. The participants of the action placed the candles to form the word “KRIMSK” and announced a minute of silence to honour the memory of the victims of the flood.

Sergei Mitrokhin

YABLOKO leader Sergei Mitrokhin who participated in YABLOKO’s humanitarian mission in Krimsk took part in the action as well.
“I don’t think that the people became victims of a natural disaster. I investigated the case and can say it for sure that they died because the authorities didn’t warn them about the coming flood, thought the officials knew about it”, Sergei Mitrokhin told the journalists.

According to Mitrokhin, there was no alerting system in Krimsk, though 10 years before a similar flood lead to numerous victims. “The authorities didn’t care to place loud-speakers and alarms on the light-poles and construct an alarm room within 10 years. No financing from the regional budget was given to take these measures. But we can see only heads of the city and district in the dock, which means that the guilty will escape punishment and the situation may take place again”, said Sergei Mitrokhin.

He reminded that YABLOKO continues to deal with the issues connected with keeping of the promises which were given by the authorities of different levels, even by President. “A lot of people didn’t receive compensations yet. It upsets me to see that the authorities propose the people to move from the flooded places to badly constructed houses which is a real cheating”, noted YABLOKO’s leader.

YABLOKO’s activists in Cuban arrived to the disaster area the next day after the flood and opened a Public Aid Centre to help the injured at their own expense. Within a week they dispensed water, food, clothes, hygiene products to the residents. Sergei Mitrokhin also participated in YABLOKO’s humanitarian mission. He visited Krimsk several times to talk to the residents and find out the real reasons of the disaster.

See also:

Criminal negligence of officials led to deaths of people in the Krimskiy district, the Krasnodar Area

YABLOKO’s Aid Centre for the victims of the flood in the southern Russia keeps working in Krymsk