Support The Moscow Times!

Emergency Calls Ignored in Russian Summer Camp Tragedy

Police have opened a criminal investigation into a nurse who reportedly ignored emergency calls from children following a fatal accident at a Russian summer camp, the Slon news website reported Friday.

The nurse, who was based at the Suoyarvskiy central district hospital in Russia's northern republic of Karelia republic on June 18, reportedly failed to respond to a phone call from campers after their boat overturned on the Samozero lake.

The group of 47 children from the Samozero summer camp, aged between 12 and 17, had been rafting when the party was hit by a sudden storm. Fourteen children died following the incident, many freezing to death in the cold water.

On receiving the call, the nurse did not notify the police or the Emergency Situations ministry, and did not make any official record of the call, said Investigative Committee representative Vladimir Markin.

“All of this contributed to delays in starting a search and rescue operation, which ultimately led to the death of children ” said Markin.

“She thought that the children were playing around. The line wasn’t good, and she heard children’s voices,” said spokesperson for the Karelian Health Ministry, Yelena Kokovurova.

“She thought they were joking. We get a lot of those sorts of calls,” she said, the Interfax news agency reported.

The charge of negligence causing the death of two or more people carries a sentence of up to seven years imprisonment.

Five people have been arrested following the incident, including the camp director. Media reports claim that instructors had ignored bad weather warnings and had neglected to notify local authorities of the trip.

Karelian officials found a number of health and safety violations when visiting the camp in 2015, but did not hold management responsible, Markin said. Inspectors found sanitary problems at the camp, as well as inadequately organized activities for the children.

The private summer camp hosted 2,500 children each year, selling three-week packages for 30,000 rubles ($450). The camp was also regularly used by Moscow authorities to provide trips for children in social care.

The camp has since been closed.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more