Irkutsk fire chief's negligence killed firefighters; court convicts

A fire chief in the Irkutsk region was sentenced to two and a half years in a penal colony for negligence resulting in the deaths of two firefighters. The court found the fire chief responsible for failing to properly assess a 2022 fire and sending firefighters into a burning building without adequate safety measures, leading to their deaths. The chief did not acknowledge guilt. The incident involved a fire in a 12-apartment wooden building. The investigation revealed the chief's inadequate response contributed to the fatal outcome.