Putin’s dictatorship has been accused of ‘covering up’ the death toll at a top-secret Russian weapons development center after a local journalist revealed that at least 25 people were killed in the devastating fire – not ‘up to seven,’ as Kremlin-backed media claims.
On Thursday, footage showed an inferno sweeping through the Second Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation in Tver, where Moscow’s Iskander missiles are designed. A criminal investigation has been initiated.
Putin’s dictatorship has been accused of ‘covering up’ the death toll at a top secret Russian weapons development center after a local journalist revealed that at least 25 people were killed in the devastating fire – not ‘up to seven,’ as Kremlin-backed media says.
On Thursday, footage showed an inferno sweeping through the Second Central Research Institute of the Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation in Tver, where Moscow’s Iskander missiles are designed.
Respected local journalist Alexander Gamburg reported on SOTA Telegram channel that he had exclusively seen the list of the ‘perished’. However, he said he could not give further details because of Russian censorship and ‘not to compromise people important and dear to me’.
He said: ‘Criminal investigators are working at the scene until Sunday, after which they are due to announce the losses.’
Gamburg added: ‘As of 10pm on April 22 there were 25 people. Seven from from April 21, and 18 people were found and identified on April 22. The youngest one is a major, a man born in 1983. The oldest is 90 or 91, born in 1931.
‘I don’t know what he was doing at his workplace at the research institute at this age. Most of the perished are men. The numbers are not final. This is a big tragedy.’
A case has been opened into how the fire was allowed to happen at the key Russian defence facility. One rescued military scientist said they were faced with toxic black smoke blowing through long corridors, adding: ‘My colleague was feeling worse than me, I was still conscious.
‘He was no longer on his feet. I told the fireman that he should be pulled out first, but the rescuer replied that he could not raise him to his feet and I needed to be saved.
‘Unfortunately, the colleague could not be resuscitated, he died. I came to my senses only in the hospital, after my first injection.’
An emergency helicopter was deployed to drop water on the burning institute which is now gutted.
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