On the night of December 31, 2018, a part of a ten-storey apartment building in Magnitogorsk collapsed following a gas explosion. The explosion and subsequent collapse claimed the lives of 39 people.
Employees of Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works (MMK) and the MMK Group were involved from the beginning of the rescue effort. MMK deployed special equipment at the scene of the accident, while employees helped the fire and search-and-rescue services to help clear the rubble and rescue survivors. Among those involved were gas rescuers and technicians, drivers and mechanics, machinists and electricians, and many more. Their work has earned high praise.
The First Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations, Alexander Chupriyan, sincerely thanked the city’s residents and volunteers for supporting the rescuers. The round-the-clock work was supported by a field kitchen and heated areas. Thanking everyone who took part in this search and rescue operation, Alexander Chupriyan singled out the regional and city authorities, MMK, workers of all the rescue services involved, volunteers and all concerned people of Magnitogorsk: “I have not heard from these people a single complaint or discontent. Nobody talked about personal time. They were with us for days and nights. They even delivered tea to us. Thank you very much. Such a united, genuine team.”
The governor of Chelyabinsk region Boris Dubrovsky and city head Sergey Berdnikov expressed gratitude to the management and employees of MMK for their help and support.
MMK CEO Pavel Shilyaev expressed the company’s gratitude to 118 employees who were most involved in the emergency response efforts for their timely and high-quality work. (MMK/Ukrainian metal)