MOSCOW, March 30 (RAPSI) – Yulia Bogdanova, CEO of the Kemerovsky Confectionary Combine, a company owning Kemerovo’s Zimnyaya Vishnya (“Winter Cherry”) shopping mall, and Tanziliya Komkova, head of the region’s State Construction Inspection, were arrested on Friday in a criminal case over the fire that left 64 persons dead, the press-service of the Investigative Committee stated.

It is expected that Bogdanova will be charged with violating fire safety regulations that resulted in deaths of more than two persons. Investigators have already completed searches at her home. According to investigators, Bogdanova was personally responsible for the fire safety, yet, despite the fact that her subordinates repeatedly told her about problems with fire safety system, she did nothing.

Komkova is suspected of abuse of office. She allegedly took no measures to stop construction of the mall without permit.

The fire in Kemerovo’s mall occurred on March 25. Investigators reported that 64 persons including children were killed in the accident. A criminal case has been launched over involuntary manslaughter, violation of fire safety regulations that left more than two persons dead and provisions of services that don’t meet safety requirements.

About 100 investigators and criminal law experts of the Investigative Committee’s headquarters are currently working at the site of the tragedy.

Earlier, five persons were charged and detained in the case. They are: a formal head of the mall’s owner company Georgy Sobolev; the mall’s manager Nadezhda Suddenok; CEO of the company System Integrator that developed the fire safety system Igor Polozinenko; an employee of the company, who personally installed the fire alarm Alexander Nikitin and a guard who allegedly turned off the emergency notification system when he received a fire signal Sergey Antyushin.

Investigators noted that 70 persons were questioned as witnesses and allegedly numerous violations made during the mall construction were found. It was also revealed that fire exits were blocked.

According to the Investigative Committee Chairman Alexander Bastrykin, the two main versions of the tragedy are an electrical short circuit and arson. Technical, electrical and construction examinations would be conducted as part of the investigation, he said during the meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.