The Investigative Committee detained the chief doctor of a hospital in Vladikavkaz, where an incident with a breakthrough of an oxygen pipe had previously occurred.

"As part of the investigation of the criminal case, the 58-year-old chief doctor of the hospital was detained," the IC said in a statement.

The investigators intend to apply to the court with a petition for the arrest of the detainee.

Earlier, the UK opened a case under Part 3 of Art.

238 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation ("Performance of work or provision of services that do not meet safety requirements, resulting in the death of two or more persons through negligence").

The Chairman of the Investigative Committee of Russia, Alexander Bastrykin, took control of the investigation of the case.

Recall that on the evening of August 9, at the Vladikavkaz hospital, where the oxygen pipe broke, 71 people were in intensive care.

Nine patients died as a result of these events.

Two more men subsequently died.

“Unfortunately, over the past 24 hours we have lost two more people, two men,” said Acting Minister of Health of the Republic Soslan Tebiev on August 10.

Tebiyev, shortly after the incident, said that no work was carried out that could damage the oxygen pipe.

He noted that the doctors promptly provided patients with oxygen cylinders and did everything possible to save people.

According to Tebiev, the deceased patients were in extremely serious condition.

They were on invasive therapy with a high percentage of lung damage.

Also on russian.rt.com Specialists of the Ministry of Health of Russia and Roszdravnadzor were sent to Vladikavkaz

Soon after the accident, it was reported that the deaths of the two patients may have been unrelated to the incident.

Thus, the Republican Ministry of Health noted that at least one of the patients died as a result of thromboembolism.

On the morning of August 10, the republican Ministry of Health reported that the republican clinical emergency hospital in Vladikavkaz will restore the oxygen supply according to the basic scheme on Tuesday, August 10, or Wednesday, August 11.

A few hours later, the department said that "all institutions providing assistance to patients with COVID-19 are provided with oxygen, the reception of patients continues."

"The Republican Clinical Hospital of North Ossetia has established uninterrupted oxygen supply to all patients," TASS reports.

The department added that "the condition of the patients is under the control of the hospital staff, all the necessary resources are involved."

As the acting head of the republican Ministry of Health said, the cause of the incident is being established.

“We believe that this is a systemic failure, experts will figure it out.

Now a check is being carried out, the reason will be found out, "TASS quotes Tebiev.

He added that the hospital was undergoing renovations about two years ago, but the oxygen system had been installed earlier.

“But the oxygen system was built much earlier, before the repair was carried out.

Then there were some improvements, the installation of additional oxygen points, "Tebiev added.

In addition, the deputy chief physician of the hospital, Liana Gutieva, also said that the accident occurred an hour before the planned launch of the backup oxygen line.

“We installed the second line and had to start supplying oxygen in an hour.

Already in addition, so that there are no problems.

But the disaster began an hour earlier, ”TASS quotes her.

Also on russian.rt.com In North Ossetia, all hospitals treating patients with COVID-19 are provided with oxygen

As Gutieva explained, the backup line was installed to unload the existing equipment, which supplies oxygen under high pressure to patients with coronavirus infection.

Negligence of officials

According to the acting head of the region, Sergei Menyailo, in the hospital, according to preliminary data, technical flaws and negligence were recorded.

"There is, according to a preliminary report of all supervisory structures, and the technical side of the issue, but there are also flaws, negligence and officials," - quoted Menyailo TASS.

According to him, the Investigative Committee determines the role of all officials in the incident at the hospital.

“Starting from the Ministry of Health, Roszdravnadzor, Rostekhnadzor and the hospital management, the reasons for this accident.

How did it happen, how were these containers installed, when, who installed, there are documents, whether they have been examined or not, ”Menyailo explained.

He also instructed to equip all hospitals in North Ossetia with oxygen stations as soon as possible.

According to him, not a single medical institution of the republic has such equipment.

“I will ask the Ministry of Health to do everything in the shortest possible time so that oxygen stations - this is 8 tons per day - are found, purchased and installed in accordance with all technical conditions,” he stressed.