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3 Accused in Grabar Fire

An executive at Moscow’s Grabar restoration center, Sergei Selivenin, and two workers, Dmitry and Sergei Shabalin, who were fixing the roof of the center, are under investigation in connection with a fire that engulfed the upper floor of the center July 16, RIA-Novosti reported Tuesday.

The Investigative Committee said the workers were fixing the roof on Selivenin’s orders, the report said. The three men face unspecified fines and up to one year in prison on charges of property destruction and negligence that caused multiple deaths, it said.

Two firefighters died in the incident. Of the 1,220 artworks stored at the center, only a single 19th-century etching valued at 300 rubles ($10) was lost, but 58 artworks will require restoration, Interfax reported.

(MT)


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