Turchynov: Explosion causes of the dwelling house in the town of Yevpatoria will be ascertained in a short time

News / 26 December 2008 | 17:00

Clearing away debris of the destroyed dwelling house in the town of Yevpatoria where on December 24 an explosion occurred, was practically completed for the day. This was disclosed by head of the Governmental commission for investigating the reasons of this extraordinary event First Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov.

He stated that “explosion causes of the tenement house in 67 Nekrasova street will be finally ascertained in a short time – debris are cleared away in the basement level already”.

The First Vice Prime Minister expressed regret that 27 people who died from the explosion failed to be rescued. According to him, the Government has very efficiently responded and will spare no effort to support the families of died and suffered, not to leave them alone with trouble. “Regardless of the fact that this tragedy is not the state’s fault (explosion occurred in a workshop), the Government has efficiently, at its special sitting, allocated UAH 70mnl to overcome the consequences of the dwelling house explosion in the town of Yevpatoria,” Oleksandr Turchynov said.

The First Vice Prime Minister stated that “not a person suffered from this catastrophe, remains without a roof”. He reminded that this issue is under personal control of Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko.

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Rada discharged Semenyuk

News / 26 December 2008 | 16:20

The Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine at its sitting has passed a resolution to discharge head of the State Property Fund of Ukraine Valentyna Semenyuk-Samsosenko.

The decision was supported by 259 MPs, including BYuT and the OU-PSD factions, the Bloc of Lytvyn and the CPU.

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Ukrainian apartment blast death roll reaches 27

News / 26 December 2008 | 15:30

The number of dead from a gas explosion in an apartment building in southern Ukraine has risen to 27, including three children, local media said on Friday.

The powerful blast ripped through the five-story apartment block in a quiet suburb of the resort town of Yevpatoriya late Wednesday. According to preliminary information, oxygen containers kept in the basement may have exploded.

Ukraine’s Channel 5 TV station reported on Friday that 27 people had been confirmed killed in the blast, although the emergencies ministry said the bodies of 26 people had been pulled from the debris.

A total of 21 people have been rescued from the rubble, and five of them have been hospitalized.

The rescue operation, involving 565 people, is continuing. The number of people missing is unknown, but authorities said fatalities could rise further as it is feared more victims are trapped under the remains of their building.

Friday has been declared a day of mourning for those killed in the incident.

The explosion destroyed 33 flats in the central section of the house where a total of 58 people were registered inhabitants, and also damaged a number of other flats. Some 1,600 metric tons of debris has been removed from the scene.

Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who made a personal visit to Yevpatoriya on Thursday, promised compensation to those injured and the families of the killed. She said $12,800 would be paid for every victim, while those left homeless would be given new housing later this year.

Ukraine’s President Viktor Yushchenko also visited the scene. The government has already allocated $9 million to help those affected by the deadly blast.

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev offered Kiev on Thursday the services of the Black Sea Fleet to help deal with the explosion.

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Rada considering dismissal of Semenyuk

News / 26 December 2008 | 14:45

MPs of Ukraine have started consideration of the question on replacement of the head of the State Property Fund.

Speaker Volodymyr Lytvyn informed the deputies that Valentyna Semenyuk had beebn sent an official invitation for the consideration of the case.

Semenyuk herself is not present in the session hall.

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Kiev mayor seeks luxury tax, dreams initiative has PM’s support

News / 26 December 2008 | 14:09

The mayor of Ukraine’s capital proposed on Friday introducing a new tax on all luxury items, including designer shoelaces, RIA Novosti reported.

Speaking to the city council, Kiev Mayor Leonid Chernovetsky announced his goals to pass a new luxury tax to include all frivolous items, including Italian Brioni designer shoelaces.

“Starting tomorrow, we could put a tax on everything: cars, planes… the list just goes on,” he was quoted as saying by the Ukrainian agency.

“Even shoelaces from Brioni,” he added.

The mayor suggested holding a municipal referendum on the new luxury tax and added that the wealthy people who would have to pay the tax would even be happy about it.

Chernovetsky also believes his initiative would get support from Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, because she told him in a dream.

“I had a great dream about her last night,” he was reported as saying. “It wasn’t an erotic dream. That didn’t happen because I love my wife and sometimes she [Tymoshenko] doesn’t love me, but since she’s a very serious woman and doesn’t allow…”

The mayor broke off without finishing the thought, and continued by saying he knew similar luxury taxes were on the table for Ukraine’s budget.

“We think alike, especially at night when dreaming. I got her full support,” the mayor said, laughing. “Though she’s invisible, she’s here and wants us to vote for it.”

Tymoshenko and Chernovetsky are constantly bickering. The prime minister has attempted to have the mayor removed from office on several occasions.

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Azarov proposes to consider state budget on January 14

News / 26 December 2008 | 13:10

The Party of Regions proposes the government to prepare a new draft state budget for 2009 and submit it in the parliament on January 14. MP from the Party of Regions Mykola Azarov informed.

“And we should take obligations to consider it and adopt within a week,” he said.

As a reminder, the parliament did not manage to adopt draft state budget yesterday and today.

219 MPs out of 425 voted for this law (PR – 0, BYuT – 155, OU-PSD – 44, CPU – 0, Lytvyn bloc – 20.)

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President signes Decree on dealing with Yevpatoriya explosion consequences

News / 26 December 2008 | 12:20

President Victor Yushchenko signed a Decree “On urgent measures aimed at dealing with consequences of the emergency in Yevpatoriya”, president’s press office reported.

Among urgent measures the decree foresees support to victims of the disaster in their moving from their damaged and destroyed apartments to places of temporary residence, protection of civil order at the site of the explosion, etc.

The Cabinet is to elaborate today a complex plan of measures aimed at dealing with consequences of the emergency, analyze the causes of the explosion and initiate criminal proceedings against those guilty on the conclusions of relevant state commission.

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PR intends to block VR work

News / 26 December 2008 | 11:34

The Party of Regions faction intends to block the work of the parliament with demand to hold investigation on falsification of voting on Thursday for the state budget 2009.

“Yesterday unprecedented case happened when voting cards of Vasyl Horbal and Serhiy Holovatyi, who were absent in the VRU hall, were used for voting,” MP from the PR Vasyl Kyselyov said.

According to him, until this incident is not clear the PR faction will block the work of the parliament.

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Government has allocated UAH 70mln to overcome the consequences of gas explosion in a five-storey apartment building in Yevpatoria

News / 26 December 2008 | 10:50

The Government of Ukraine has allocated UAH 70 mln to hold the top priority works on liquidation of the consequences of gas explosion which took place in a five-storey apartment building in the town of Yevpatoria. Such decision was approved at a special sitting of the Government chaired by Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Hryhorii Nemyria today.

The mentioned means will come to Yevpatoria already today and will be aimed at purchasing new accommodations for the suffered from the gas blast dwellers and for paying them pecuniary compensation for the lost property.

Besides, the Government has approved an order on the creation of a Governmental commission for investigating the circumstances of the dwelling house explosion in Yevpatoria chaired by First Vice Prime Minister Oleksandr Turchynov.

Government portal

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Tymoshenko: Dwellers who lost their accommodation in Yevpatoria will obtain new apartments before New Year

News / 26 December 2008 | 10:00

Prime Minister of Ukraine Yulia Tymoshenko states that all dwellers of a five-storey apartment building in the town of Yevpatoria who lost their accommodation because of the explosion will obtain new apartments by the end of the year. Yulia Tymoshenko told journalists summing up a meeting with leadership of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea which took place in airport of the city of Simferopol after the Prime Minister and the governmental delegation’s arrival.

Yulia Tymoshenko informed that meeting saw the consideration of issue on the results of the governmental commission chaired by First Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine Oleksandr Turchynov which is operating in Yevpatoria since 3:00 a.m. According to the Head of Government, it has been decided that “all people who lost accommodation will have new apartments by the end of the year”.

Moreover, Yulia Tymoshenko reminded the journalists that the decision to compensate every square metre of the lost accommodation and other losses to the suffered Yevpatoria dwellers had been approved at the Government’s extraordinary session this morning.

According to Yulia Tymoshenko, the sum of average losses per 1 square metre of the lost accommodation will be finally determined within a day. The Head of Government told that suffered dwellers of the house whose apartments are completely destroyed, would receive an interim advance totaling UAH 20 thousand and whose apartments half destroyed – at the sum of UAH 10 thousand.

Yulia Tymoshenko also assured that already today all families of died would receive public assistance at the sum of UAH 100 thousand for each died person. “This is a big tragedy. The Government and local authorities settled down to help the suffered families, to abate that colossal tragedy which the people had faced in the result of this domestic catastrophe,” the Prime Minister of Ukraine stressed.

Government portal

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