Water park death toll may rise by 13

The death toll in the weekend roof collapse at a Moscow water park could rise by up to 13, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov said today as rescuers sifted through the wreckage.

Twenty-five people have so far been confirmed dead in the disaster on Saturday night.

Luzhkov, who visited the ruins of the Transvaal Park on Moscow’s southwestern outskirts today, reaffirmed that there was no hope of finding anyone alive.

Initial reports said the concrete-and-glass structure on Moscow’s southwestern outskirts crashed down on Saturday after an explosion, but Luzhkov and other officials said there was no evidence of a terrorist act and blamed the architects and builders.

The mayor said a load-bearing column might have collapsed, bringing the structure down.

The disaster shocked Muscovites, many already demoralised by a deadly February 6 subway bombing that President Vladimir Putin blamed on Chechen rebels.

Luzhkov said that telephone calls to a special hotline and the number of belongings left unclaimed at the water park led emergency workers to believe that there could be nine to 13 more bodies left under the rubble.

Prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into negligence leading to deaths, according to Moscow prosecutor Anatoly Zuyev, who said the roof collapse was probably caused by faulty construction or maintenance.

Investigators were considering several other theories about the cause, including an excessive buildup of snow on the roof and insufficient ventilation that could have weakened the structure and made it more vulnerable to the stark difference between the warmth indoors and the cold outside. The temperature was about minus 15C (5F) at the time of the collapse.

The government agency in charge of construction, Gosstroi, suspended the licences of the Turkish company that built the park, Kocak Insaat, and the Russian architectural firm that designed it.

Turkish newspapers quoted Ismail Kocak, the company’s owner, as denying responsibility.

“We built the roof so that it could withstand five feet of snow, but there were 10 feet of snow at the time of the accident,” the daily Milliyet quoted him as saying. He denied allegations that low-quality materials were used in construction.

The complex, which opened in 2002, was built in 18 months, Russian media said. It is one of several flashy facilities that have opened in recent years in Moscow, which is rich compared with other parts of Russia.