31 Jan 2020 21:53

Rescuers find body of worker killed in St. Petersburg stadium roof collapse

ST. PETERSBURG. Jan 31 (Interfax) - The body of a worker killed in the roof collapse at the Saint-Petersburg Sports and Concert Complex (SKK Peterburgsky) has been found in the rubble, head of the St. Petersburg branch of the Emergency Situations Ministry Alexei Anikin said.

"The body of a worker has been found. The other members of the crew, and there were four of them, are alive. Representatives of investigating agencies are working with them," Anikin told reporters on Friday.

Work is continuing to recover the body from the rubble. Rescuers are planning to finish within the next two hours, he said.

There is no threat of any further collapse on the site, Anikin said.

As reported earlier, at about 3 p.m., roof structures collapsed during dismantling work at SKK Peterburgsky. The affected area totals approximately 25,000 to 28,000 square meters, including 80% of wall and roof structures.

The Russian Investigative Committee and the St. Petersburg Prosecutor's Office have launched a pre-investigation probe into the case.

The chief executive officer of SKK-Arena LLC, an investor in the new stadium's construction, Igor Zabiran said that the collapse had been planned as part of demolition works.

"Dismantling work implies pulling down reinforced concrete structures [...] During the dismantling of a failing roof membrane, the building's supporting structures partly collapsed. The building's structure consisted of one concrete rim and 112 jackstays. When some jackstays were cut off, it collapsed," Zabiran told reporters on Friday.

The developers are dismantling the SKK Peterburgsky in order to erect an arena for the 2023 Ice Hockey World Championships.