12 Killed in Shchuchinsk Plov Center Blast: Defendants Give Final Statements

In the court case over the explosion at the "Plov Center" cafe in Shchuchinsk, the defendants have given their final statements. The tragedy claimed the lives of 12 people, reports the website of KTK TV channel.

On the defendants' bench are the owner of the gas filling station where the cafe's cylinders were filled, the deliveryman who transported the containers, and the cafe's owner. One of the defendants admitted: "I understand that my guilt lies in the fact that I failed to properly oversee the cafe's operations, namely: fire safety standards were not observed, and I was careless in entrusting the documentation and the entire running of the establishment."

The owner of the "Plov Center" said that after the tragedy he tried to help all the victims and cooperated with the investigation. Therefore, he believes that the seven-year prison sentence requested by the prosecution is too harsh. The gas station owner stated that he does not consider himself involved in what happened, claiming that he had forbidden employees to fill household cylinders, but they did so without his knowledge. The shortest final statement came from the gas cylinder deliveryman, who asked the court to make a fair decision.

Victim Vladimir Evdokimov said in court: "We ask, since the guilt of all participants in this case has been proven, we ask the court to take this into account and impose the maximum sentence."

Recall that on February 26, an explosion occurred in a one-story cafe in Shchuchinsk. Initially, six deaths and 20 injuries were reported. The moment of the explosion was captured on video. The director of the "Plov Center" was detained after the tragedy, and later the cafe's owner was arrested for two months. By April 18, the death toll from the fire had risen to 12. In June, special prosecutors of Akmola region announced the completion of the criminal investigation. Then the trial began, where the defendants asked for forgiveness but did not admit guilt. Earlier, the owner of the gas station where the cylinders were filled gave testimony.