A total of 42 people have been found under the rubble in the Airborne troops training center in Russia's Omsk Region, 23 of them died, the Russian Defense Ministry told TASS on Monday. "As of 10:00 a.m. on July 13, all 42 service members have been found under the rubble, 23 of them died," the Defense Ministry said.
The ministry noted that 19 soldiers had been taken to hospitals. In addition to that, three service members have been taken to the training center's medical unit, where they applied for medical assistance with minor bruises and abrasions. A group of ten paratroopers injured in the Omsk Region had been dispatched to Moscow. "The first military transport aircraft carrying ten injured service members has departed to Moscow," he said.
A section of the four-story barracks of the Airborne Troops training center in Omsk collapsed at 19:52 Moscow Time (1652 GMT) on Sunday. There were 337 servicemen inside
A regional law enforcement source earlier said the accident might have been caused by violations during repair work.
"The barracks in the village of Svetly recently underwent repairs. According to one of the versions, errors possibly occurred during the repair, including a change in design of the building," the source said. "This version will be checked."
He said the external wall and roof partially collapsed. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu has ordered inspections of all buildings repaired in a military town in the Omsk Region in Siberia.
source: Tass News Agency.
Photo: Collapsed building at a military facility near Omsk (picture courtesy of Tass news Agency.
