Elena Serbinova, a mother who lost her 12-year-old daughter, Polina Onenova, in the collapse of a building in Nizhny Tagil, Russia, is now facing criminal charges related to the incident. She has released a video appeal to Alexander Bastrykin, the head of the Investigative Committee of Russia, expressing her distress and asserting her innocence.

The tragedy, which occurred a year prior, claimed the lives of 11 people, including six children. Serbinova reports that a criminal case has been opened against her under Article 109 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, accusing her of causing death by negligence. She is scheduled to be charged on July 31.

According to the investigation, a gas leak originated in her apartment, leading to the collapse. However, Serbinova disputes these findings, claiming that the examination was conducted by a commercial organization and that the experts did not even visit the site of the collapse.

Serbinova explains that neighbors, Olga and Mikhail Kosyanov, who also lost their daughter in the explosion, had the keys to her apartment and were responsible for looking after it in her absence. She states that Olga Kosyanova shut off the gas to her apartment on July 30, 2024, with the windows open for ventilation, a fact Olga has confirmed to investigators.

She also emphasizes that gas service employees never issued her any prescriptions for violations based on inspection results, with the last inspection taking place a month and a half before the tragedy. Serbinova maintains that the apartment on Sibirskaya Street was empty and she did not reside there. She has hired a lawyer and is confident in her innocence.

Serbinova pleads for understanding of the causes of the tragedy and seeks objective reasons for the collapse, especially as the anniversary of the event approaches on August 1st. Previously, employees of “Gazeks” were initially accused and placed under house arrest in connection with the collapse.