‘The death toll from oxygen pipe accident at a hospital in Vladikavkaz has risen to 11’, Soslan Tebiyev, the acting Health Minister of North Ossetia announced.
‘Yes, we have lost them’, he replied when asked by journalists whether two more people had actually passed away.
According to the Health Ministry of the region, 11 people died during the day, nine of them as a result of the accident.
‘Doctors do not link one case to the accident; the death was caused by a thromboembolism. A further medical examination will be carried out on the other case’, the Ministry added.
There was an accident at the hospital on Monday – a pipe exploded under the ground. Nine people aged between 47 and 85 passed away. According to the republican Health Ministry, they were in an extremely serious condition. A total of 71 patients were in intensive care.
The breakdown of the oxygen system in the building became known about 18:00. Gas was supplied from reserve cylinders.
After the accident, a team of anesthesiologists and resuscitators from the Federal Centre for Disaster Medicine of the Health Ministry and specialists from Roszdravnadzor was sent to Vladikavkaz.
The Investigative Committee launched a criminal case under the article on the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements.
Overnight, gas trucks arrived in the region: three tonnes came from Kabardino-Balkaria, four – from the Stavropol region and eight – from Krasnodar. Another tonne was sent from the airfield of the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Army of the Southern Military District.
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Photo: Olga Smolskaya / TASS
Based on materials from RIA Novosti