Putin Checks in on Magnitogorsk Survivors; New Year’s Gas Explosion Caused Deaths of 39 People

Last year ended on a sad note. On December 31st, a gas explosion occurred in Magnitogorsk. A part of a residential building collapsed. The Russian president traveled to the scene on the very same day in order to observe the rescue efforts. 39 people died. It was a horrible tragedy. But we also witnessed a New Year's miracle.

Last year ended on a sad note. On December 31st, a gas explosion occurred in Magnitogorsk. A part of a residential building collapsed. The Russian president traveled to the scene on the very same day in order to observe the rescue efforts. 39 people died. It was a horrible tragedy. But we also witnessed a New Year's miracle. 11-month-old Vanya Fokin was pulled alive from the rubble. He survived in the rubble for more than 35 hours even though the temperature dropped to -17°F.

The president arrived in Magnitogorsk six hours before the New Year. All of the decisions were made on the spot.

 

And it just happened so that on that day, I was in Beloretsk, a town in Bashkortostan, which is just a 1.5-hour drive from Magnitogorsk. That's where my parents and my entire family live, and usually, I try to visit them on New Year's Eve. So that's where I was when the tragedy happened. As soon as I found out about it, I drove to Magnitogorsk.

When I first saw that pile of concrete, my only thought was, "it's impossible to survive something like this." Seeing it made me appreciate the fact that so many people were rescued that much more. The rescue efforts on site were very well organized.

In this footage, Vanya Fokin is being taken back to the ward after a medical procedure. Everyone in Russia was happy to find out that the doctors were able to save the boy's frostbitten leg.

- So at 11 months, he was already able to stand up and move around?

Olga Fokina, Vanya's mother: Yes, he could walk on his cot. He also tried to speak a little.

On that night, the boy's mother put him to bed as usual.

- He was wearing a shirt, diapers, and a pair of socks, and I covered him with a fleece blanket.

- So he wasn't wrapped up in a bunch of blankets or anything?

- No, it was warm at home. Maybe even a little too hot.

Here are the socks Vanya wore for 35 hours, which he spent under the rubble in the Ural's freezing weather. His grandmother spent the cold night before her icons.

Nadezhda Matveichuk, Vanya's grandmother: "I spent the night begging God to keep him warm so he wouldn't freeze. I asked him to cover Vanya with something so he wouldn't freeze. I asked him for a lot of things".

The rescue workers are the heroes who had to forget about the holidays and their own families and who continuously sifted through the rubble out in the cold.

On December 31st, at 5:45 pm Ural time, Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Magnitogorsk. He's headed to the site of the tragedy. As you can see, this part of the building is completely destroyed. The president started a briefing out in the street. The governor and the emergency minister are the first to report. How many people might have been inside when the building collapsed?

"This is just an estimate. This says how many people were registered here".

After a quick briefing outside, Vladimir Putin is headed to the tent, set up by the Ministry of Emergency Situations, in order to hold an emergency meeting. By then, it was already the New Year in the Far East. Magnitogorsk was just a few hours away from midnight.

Vladimir Putin: "I'd like to address our citizens. Our people know that, despite the holiday season, we should think of those who lost their lives and those who were injured. We should keep them in our thoughts and in our hearts. And that's what our people do in situations like this".

Putin gave out instructions to form a special government committee, provide the victims with housing and financial aid, and restore their documents.

Vladimir Putin: "Clearly, now is not the time to cut down on spending limits. Anyone living in a building that raises even the slightest doubt must be provided with new housing".

Reportedly, there were 80 people in the affected part of the building when it collapsed. Chances of surviving such a tragedy aren't very high. But half of the victims were rescued.

We're at the hospital in Magnitogorsk. The president is here to visit the survivors of the tragedy. 13-year-old Sergei Gavrilov was pulled out of the rubble an hour after the building collapsed.

Vladimir Putin: It's all right, you'll get better soon. It's New Year's, but I was in such a rush that I didn't have time to get you a gift. I will definitely send you one later. What do you like to do? Do you have any hobbies?

Sergei Gavrilov: I like sports.

– What kind of sport do you do?

– Hand-to-hand fighting. Really? So you're a fighter? Now I'm certain that you'll be alright. Do you know what kind of gift you want for New Year's?

– Not yet.

– Not yet? Well, let me know when you decide.

Thanks to the support of his family, Sergei has already been released from the hospital with minor scratches on his arms and legs. He has decided the fate of the president's gift.

Sergei Gavrilov: It's mostly for my mom.

– So you want to let your mother have the gift?

- Yes.

Looking at the rubble, Sergei's mother still can't understand how her family survived.

Yuliya Gavrilova, Sergei's mother: "See the blue window frame on the third floor? That's our kitchen. There was a bedroom next to it. That's our radiator hanging from the wall".

Lyubov Gavrilova, Sergei's grandmother: "The ceiling fell and we started falling. I screamed. Luckily, the rescue team got here quickly".

The whole country is grateful to the heroes from the rescue team. After Putin left Magnitogorsk, he continued to monitor the situation and call the rescue workers to thank them and show them support. The authorities are looking for housing options for the Gavrilovs and other families. For now, they're staying at an apartment.

Yuliya Gavrilova: "The government has covered the costs".

The investigation into the Magnitogorsk incident is a priority of the Russian Investigative Committee.