MOSCOW, July 24 (RAPSI) – Three insurance companies have filed claims with the Kemerovo Regional Commercial Court demanding over 90 million rubles (about $1.5 million) from the Kemerovo Confectionary Combine, an owner of the troubled Zimnyaya Vishnya (Winter Cherry) mall, according to court records. 

RESO-Garantiya seeks 42.06 million rubles; Soglasie Insurance Co has filed a 23.3-million-ruble application and Sberbank Insurance demands 25.2 million rubles from the burnt-out mall’s owner.

In July, the commercial court declared the mall commissioning permit signed by a deputy head of Kemerovo invalid.

In May, the Zavodsky District Court in Kemerovo began hearing a criminal case over the tragic fire in Zimnyaya Vishnya led to the death of 60 people.

The fire occurred in the Zimnyaya Vishnya (Winter Cherry) mall on March 25, 2018. According to investigators, 60 people including dozens of children were killed by fire. Initially it was reported that 64 people died. Nearly 150 people were hurt. The blaze destructed property of 140 individuals and 100 companies totaling 293 million rubles (over $4.5 million).

The case was 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.

Seven defendants including Yulia Bogdanova, CEO of the Kemerovsky Confectionary Combine, a company owning the) mall, technical director of the mall’s owner company Georgy Sobolev, the mall’s manager Nadezhda Suddenok, a guard who allegedly turned off the emergency notification system when he received a fire signal Sergey Antyushin,  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 fire team commander Sergey Genin, are on trial.