Post by Daniel on Mar 28, 2018 9:01:31 GMT -5
Russia buries victims of mall blaze as flags fly at half mast
Polina Ivanova, Andrew Osborn
KEMEROVO/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Funerals began in Russia on Wednesday of the 64 people, most of them children, whose deaths in a blaze at a Siberian shopping mall have roused public anger over official corruption and incompetence.
...
Russia has rigorous fire safety rules and a system of regular inspections, but enforcement is undermined by endemic corruption which affects many aspects of life in the country of 144 million people.
Moscow reduced the number of inspections for certain types of businesses after complaints that inspectors were extorting bribes in exchange for turning a blind eye to violations.
But some business owners in Kemerovo said this meant that safety shortcomings were not being identified.
At least one vigil held in memory of the dead in cities across Russia has turned into an anti-government demonstration.
At a Moscow gathering on Tuesday attended by several thousand people, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny, protesters held banners reading “Bribes kill children” and “We demand a real investigation”.
Some chanted “Putin - resign!”, ten days after Putin secured a comfortable election win for another six-year term in office.
read full article
www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-fire-kemerovo-mourning/russia-buries-victims-of-mall-blaze-as-flags-fly-at-half-mast-idUSKBN1H41SB
Polina Ivanova, Andrew Osborn
KEMEROVO/MOSCOW (Reuters) - Funerals began in Russia on Wednesday of the 64 people, most of them children, whose deaths in a blaze at a Siberian shopping mall have roused public anger over official corruption and incompetence.
...
Russia has rigorous fire safety rules and a system of regular inspections, but enforcement is undermined by endemic corruption which affects many aspects of life in the country of 144 million people.
Moscow reduced the number of inspections for certain types of businesses after complaints that inspectors were extorting bribes in exchange for turning a blind eye to violations.
But some business owners in Kemerovo said this meant that safety shortcomings were not being identified.
At least one vigil held in memory of the dead in cities across Russia has turned into an anti-government demonstration.
At a Moscow gathering on Tuesday attended by several thousand people, including opposition leader Alexei Navalny, protesters held banners reading “Bribes kill children” and “We demand a real investigation”.
Some chanted “Putin - resign!”, ten days after Putin secured a comfortable election win for another six-year term in office.
read full article
www.reuters.com/article/us-russia-fire-kemerovo-mourning/russia-buries-victims-of-mall-blaze-as-flags-fly-at-half-mast-idUSKBN1H41SB
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