Kondratenko: so many casualties in Krymsk were caused by distrust in "Rosgidromettsentr" warnings

The large amount of water was brought to Krymsk by a whirlwind, suggested Nikolai Kondratenko, a member of the committee on agro-food policy and nature management of the Russian Council of Federation (CoF) and the former governor of the Krasnodar Territory, who was included into the commission of the CoF set up for studying the reasons of the tragedy. He believes that the large number of victims was caused by people's distrust in the warnings of the Russian Hydrometeorology Centre ("Rosgidromettsentr"), because earlier storm warnings announced in the region did not always come true.

The "Caucasian Knot" has reported that heavy rains on July 6-7 provoked a catastrophic flood in the Krasnodar Territory. According to the MfE, 171 people perished; and according to the administration of the Krasnodar Territory, the number of destroyed houses in the city of Krymsk, most strongly affected by the flood, is over 1370.

The press conference "Tragedy in Krymsk: first lessons and conclusions", which was attended by Nikolai Kondratenko, and other experts, was held on July 17 at the press centre of the RIA "Novosti".

"Villains are using the situation to their advantage"

After announcing his version about a whirlwind, Nikolai Kondratenko also called special services to check a version of application of climate weapons against Krymsk.

At the press conference, Nikolai Kondratenko attacked media for spreading "provocative rumours about thousands of dead" and said that they "want evil to people."

He explained that these rumours had originated from the fact that the funeral service did not run a separate list of casualties but added the flood casualties to the total list run from the beginning of the year.

In order to reduce the number of victims of such disasters in the future, the ex-governor of the Krasnodar Territory found it necessary to restore the earlier service of forecasting and warning the population.

Yuri Kalinin, a member of the committee on budget and financial markets of the CoF, also a member of the above commission, called for criminalization of "alarmists' calls," just as there is criminal responsibility for false reports about terror acts.

"For better distribution, aid was not brought to centralized warehouses"

Nikolai Kondratenko thanked people of Russia who came to the aid of Krymsk residents, noting that it was "the keenest people's response to the disaster." "The main thing is that people have confidence that they had not been forgotten," he stressed.

Dmitry Aleshkovsky, a photographer and coordinator of the centre for collection of humanitarian aid to the Krasnodar Territory victims, organized in Moscow in Vorobyovy Gory, said that people of most differing viewpoints worked together at the collection centre.

"OMON (riot police) fighters came to help in loading the trucks; together with them guys with white ribbons worked, as well as activists of the 'Young Russia', bikers, guys with symbols of the LGBT movement and Christian activists," said the coordinator.

Dmitry Aleshkovsky also told about the scale of volunteers' activities in Krymsk. In total, for the operation time of the collection centre in Vorobyovy Gory, 144 tons of various cargoes were dispatched.

In Krymsk, the humanitarian aid was distributed among 157 families. To make the distribution better, the aid goods were not brought to centralized warehouses: the truck drivers were told by mobile phone, after they passed Rostov-on-Don, to what street and what house they should drive in Krymsk.

"New law will kill volunteer movement"

The development of volunteers' movement means a great step in development of the civil society; however, the volunteers' movement needs a separate law, said Yuri Kalinin.

According to his story, the law is needed for volunteers to know their rights and responsibilities of local administrations; it will provide volunteers with health insurance policies. The Senator promised to present the bill in autumn.

In his turn, Mr Aleshkovsky reacted negatively to adoption of such law, fearing that it would kill the volunteers' movement.

"Unnecessary bureaucratic hurdles will just kill - not even decelerate but just kill our work," he said, arguing that the need to fill in papers will frighten away many volunteers.

As an example of bureaucracy faced by volunteers, Mr Aleshkovsky gave the example of sending volunteers to Krymsk. If the volunteers had to sign contracts and insurance policies, the organizers would have simply failed to do all this, he said.

"Volunteers are adults and know where they go. Let the state first duly organize the work of the MfE, and only then interfere in the affairs of the structures, which handle matters by themselves," Dmitry Aleshkovsky has concluded.

In his turn, Nikolai Kondratenko, supported his fellow-senator, noting that the law on volunteering is a need, for local authorities to know what they should do and how to help volunteers.

"Right now, administration buys out new housing, including flats built for MoD"

The press conference also raised the issue of responsibility of the authorities for what had happened. According to Nikolai Kondratenko, now the governor of the territory Alexander Tkachov "actually lives in Krymsk."

The Senator told about the accommodation programme currently realized by the territorial administration in relation to Krymsk residents who lost their houses. According to his story, the administration is now buying out new apartments, including those built under the order of the Ministry of Defence (MoD). "The militaries have agreed - we'll give you our flats; and then you'll build new flats for us," said Nikolai Kondratenko.

The current authorities are guilty that the system of warning citizens about the disaster was not restored, said Dmitry Aleshkovsky. However, he strongly rejected the demands emerging in social networks: "Putin, resign! Tkachov resign!", calling them "PR actions on others' disaster."