MOSCOW, March 4 (RAPSI, Diana Gutsul) – Victims in the criminal case, launched after explosion at the Raspadskaya coal mine in 2010, filed over hundred lawsuits each demanding more than one million rubles ($13,600), RAPSI learned in the Mezhdurechensky City Court of the Kemerovo Region on Friday.

On Thursday, the court ended preliminary hearings in the case against eight people who are allegedly responsible for the tragedy at the coal mine. Seven people, mostly former Raspadskaya company employees are accused of breaching mining safety protocols while former government technology and ecology inspector is accused of criminal negligence.

Explosion at the Raspadaskya coal mine happened on May 8, 2010 with subsequent explosions occurring next day. Tragedy left 91 miners dead and 133 wounded. Investigators found out that safety protocols on the mine have been systematically breached since 2007 and have been the prime reason behind the tragedy. Damage from the actions of the accused to the Raspadskaya company is estimated as two trillions of rubles ($27 billion). However, the company did not launch a lawsuit against the accused.