A 14-year-old resident of the MКУ “Zhemchuzhina” [Pearl] institution drowned in the Ob River near Arena Park on June 4th, leading to an investigation by the Novosibirsk City Hall. The incident occurred while the boy was swimming on an unequipped beach without the permission of the institution’s administration.

The City Hall’s press center confirmed the drowning to NGS.RU and stated that an investigation is underway regarding the circumstances.

According to an NGS.RU source, a group of teenagers was celebrating a birthday on the shore when the incident happened. The source described the boy as a “good” child and mentioned that he was the middle child in a group of five.

MКУ center “Zhemchuzhina,” located on Vatutina Street, 30, provides housing for orphans and children without parental care, ranging in age from 3 to 18 years.

Svetlana Dankova, the director of “Zhemchuzhina,” declined to comment on the tragedy, referring all questions to the Department of Social Policy.

This is not the first incident involving a resident of MКУ “Zhemchuzhina.” In March 2023, a 15-year-old died after attempting to escape from the children’s home with a friend by jumping out of a building window. Following that incident, two employees were found guilty of abuse of power for allegedly conspiring to deny the teenager medical assistance.