A gas explosion in Balashikha has already killed six people. Perhaps there will be more victims. In the Moscow region, such incidents are recorded most often throughout the country. Only under the current general director of Mosoblgaz, Igor Baranov, their number has long exceeded two dozen. How does he live?
What happened?
Six dead (including two rescuers) and seven injured, including children. This is the preliminary result of the explosion in a nine-story panel building on Oktyabrskaya Street in Balashikha near Moscow. The gas detonated around 8:20. Many residents were still sleeping. The epicenter was the apartment on the fourth floor, where 86-year-old pensioner Margarita Alekseevna lived. It was she who had the leak. The gas spread through the ventilation shaft into the neighbor’s kitchen, where 35-year-old Irina was lighting the stove to cook breakfast for her husband. He was going to work in the back room and that’s why he survived. Both women died on the spot.
The explosion was so powerful that three apartments were completely destroyed. Windows throughout the house were broken, and things flew out into the street with fragments. From under the collapsed concrete slabs, the screams of walled-up residents from the lower floors could be heard. The man was rescued from the first: he was pulled out covered in blood and with broken bones. But his upstairs neighbors – 36-year-old Maria and her five-year-old daughter – were not lucky. When rescuers tried to rescue them from the rubble, a new wall collapse occurred. She fell exactly in the place where the mother and child were trapped. After that they stopped calling for help. What happened to them remained unknown at the time of publication of the article. There is almost no chance of finding them alive.
While falling, the wall also hit and killed two rescuers…
What residents say
According to the SHOT telegram channel, the night before the residents of the exploded house complained of the smell of gas. They say that they even called services, but allegedly no one came or checked anything. Also, according to locals, gas workers carried out some work at the entrance on September 18, two days before the tragedy.
A criminal case has been opened regarding the provision of services that do not meet safety requirements. Now the gas workers servicing the house are being searched.
The Moscow region is the leader in gas explosions
By data Media, it was in the Moscow region that most often household gas explosions occurred in apartment buildings in 2017–2023. In more than half of the cases, the residents themselves were to blame. It’s cold at night and the heating hasn’t been turned on yet, so some residents use the gas stove as an oven. Seven percent of incidents involved suicide attempts or murder. The rest of the emergencies are on the conscience of utilities and gas services.
Recently, gas explosions in the Moscow region have even became more frequent: 20 cases in 15 months. In Balashikha alone this is already third explosion from the summer.
The largest gas distribution company in the region is JSC Mosoblgaz (owned by the Ministry of Regional Property) with revenue of over 49 billion rubles last year. Currently it serves approximately 2.9 million apartments and households in the Moscow region. Starting next year, according to the decree of local authorities, this organization will serve all apartments in the Moscow region without exception.
Subscribers mainly criticize Mosoblgaz for its careless attitude.
“They just really gave up on everything and don’t pick up the phone for months, don’t call back, Maryino village, Solnechnogorsk district,” same complaints Ivana Shipaeva.
— Paid work is carried out only after complaints to the manager, — Alexandra K. from Mytishchi complains.
What is known about the head of Mosoblgaz
Since January 2020, Mosoblgaz has been headed by a 43-year-old Igor Baranov, he previously worked for a long time as first deputy. Nothing is known about this person; judging by the SPARK database, he has never been involved in business. Despite the fact that Baranov works for a government agency, he does not need to report income. As Life found out, he lives in grand style.
Igor Baranov prefers to travel by SUV. He recently gave his old Lexus LX570 (up to 10 million rubles) to his father, and bought himself a new premium BMW X7 SUV, which can now cost about 20 million rubles.
And the director of Mosoblgaz lives on Rublevka in the Uspenskoye cottage community – this is an elite 24-hour guarded place with excellent infrastructure. The area of Igor Baranov’s mansion is 545 square meters, the plot is 32 acres. Judging by satellite images, the grounds include a landscaped garden and an outdoor Jacuzzi. The cost of such real estate can exceed 100 million rubles. By the way, from here Igor Baranov can get to work very quickly and conveniently – the Mosoblgaz office is just ten minutes away by car.