Russian nightclub owner prosecuted following fatal fire
Following a tragic fire at a Russian nightclub which killed more than 150 people, the owner of the Perm city centre business has been found guilty of negligence.
The fire, which took place back in December 2009 and caused the deaths of 156 people, was found to have been caused by sparks from a pyrotechnics show which set fire to wicker wall and ceiling coverings.
The co-owner of the Lame Horse nightclub in Perm, Anatoly Zak, has now been prosecuted over the tragic incident along with seven others. He has been found guilty of negligence, as has the head of the company responsible for the pyrotechnics display. Also guilty of negligence is the regional fire safety inspector, who with his fire safety training, should have flagged up the danger of wicker wall and ceiling coverings in a club which stages fireworks displays before the disastrous incident took place.
The verdicts came soon after a fire at a Moscow psychiatric hospital, which also resulted in fatalities. These incidents, and the very high number of fire-related deaths in the country, have prompted serious concern about fire safety standards in Russia.