Accessibility links

Breaking News

Court Incarcerates Two On Trial Over Russian Dam Disaster


A court in Siberia has ordered two defendants on trial over a deadly 2009 dam disaster to be held behind bars.

The court ruled that the former director of the Sayano-Shushenskaya hydroelectric power plant, Nikolai Nevolko, and its former deputy chief engineer, Yevgeny Shervarli, must be incarcerated for six months because they violated travel restrictrions.

Seventy-five people were killed when the Russia's largest hydroelectric power plant was flooded and badly damaged in an accident on August 17, 2009.

Nevolko, Shervarli and five other former senior managers of the facility have been charged with negligence and violation of safety regulations in the disaster, which highlighted problems with Russian indutrial facilities and infrastructure.

The court said they had violated travel restrictions by leaving the town of Sayanogorsk.

Based on reports by Interfax and ITAR-TASS

RFE/RL has been declared an "undesirable organization" by the Russian government.

If you are in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine and hold a Russian passport or are a stateless person residing permanently in Russia or the Russia-controlled parts of Ukraine, please note that you could face fines or imprisonment for sharing, liking, commenting on, or saving our content, or for contacting us.

To find out more, click here.

XS
SM
MD
LG