Gov’t to help families of crash victims

Russia Journal ^ | August 30, 2004

[RussianConservative]

MOSCOW - Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov assigned the Finance Ministry to prepare a decree on one-time payments to the relatives of those killed in Tuesday’s air crashes, he said at a meeting with Transport Minister Igor Levitin.

For his part, Mr. Levitin said the Transport Ministry was negotiating with the heads of regional administrations and airline companies on the compensations. In particular, the administration of the Volgograd region said it would pay RUR 50,000 (about $1,712) for each crash victim who lived in the region.

The Sibir airline company said it would transport the bodies of those who were on the Tu-154 plane that crashed in the Rostov region. It will also pay for the burial, and pay RUR 50,000 to the families of crash victims. The insurance companies are going to pay compensations also.

The Tu-154 and Tu-134 airliners had flown out of Moscow's Domodedovo airport and crashed at about 11 p.m. local time. The wreckage of the Tu-154, which was en route for the Black Sea resort of Sochi, was found on Wednesday morning in the Rostov region. There were 38 passengers and 8 crew members on board. The remains of the Tu-134, which was bound for Volgograd, were found in the Tula region. It was carrying 35 passengers and 9 crew members. 90 people died in the crashes.

According to the latest information, the planes exploded. Investigators found traces of explosives in the wreckage of the Tu-154. The examination for the second aircraft has not been completed yet. But it seems the Tu-134 had also exploded, judging from the location of scatted fragments. The tail section of the aircraft lies in front of the fuselage, and the nose section is behind. This could only have happened if the plane experienced an onboard explosion and broke in mid-air.

A source in aviation circles told RBC that the Tu-154’s crew had sent out a distress and hijack signals within 10-15 seconds of each other. According to the source, the second signal came when ground controllers tried to establish contact with the plane. The aircraft disappeared from radar immediately after the hijack alert.

[struwwelpeter]

In particular, the administration of the Volgograd region said it would pay RUR 50,000 (about $1,712) for each crash victim who lived in the region

That's real money over there, if they actually pay it. From an earlier promise made to victims of the "Nord-Ost" hostage tragedy (Dubrovka):

A vot, skazhem, v noyabre mesyatse 2002 goga predsedatel' soyuza promyshlennikov i predprinimateley Rossii g-n Vol'skiy sdelal ofitsial'noe zayavlenie, chto oni vydelyayut den'gi dlya postradavshikh v "Nord-Oste". Chto u nikh est' spiski, chto oni poschitali, skol'ko nado deneg, chto ehti den'gi u nikh est'. Po 50 tysyach za kazhdogo pogibshego, byvshemu zalozhniku 25 tysyach. Vse okazalos' lozh'yu. Ya pozvonila, sprosila pro ehti den'gi, mne vyrazili soboleznovaniya i snachala vse podtverdili: "Da-da, prikhodite". A potom: "Oy, izvinite, u nas deneg ne xvataet, budem davat' tol'ko det'yam ostavshimsya bez roditeley". U menya est' znakomaya, u kotoroy muzh pogib, ostalos' dvoe detey. Mladshemu eshche goda net. Ona zvonila tuda, ey tozhe skazali: "Net, net, u nas deneg net, i vam my tozhe ne vyplatim". V kontse kontsov oni nachali vyplachivat' v febrale tol'ko moskvicham, no na vsekh deneg ne xvatilo. Materi Dashi Frolovoy, naprimer, nichego ne dali.

"Well, in November of 2002 a representative of the industrialist and business union, Mr. Vol'skiy made the official declaration that they would provide for all those who suffered at 'Northeast'. They have a list, and they calculated how much money, 50 thousand (rubles) for every one who died, 25 thousand for being a hostage. But it all turned out to be a lie. I called, asked about the money, and they expressed their sympathy and at first acknowledged: 'Yes, yes, come on over'. But later, 'Oh, sorry, we don't have enough money, we're going to give only to orphans.' I have an acquaintance whose husband died, and is left with two children. She called over there and they also told her: 'No, no, we don't have any money, and we can't pay you either'. In the end they started in February to pay just those living in Moscow, but there wasn't enough money for everyone. Dasha Frolova's mother, for example, didn't get a thing."

Hopefully this isn't a similar empty promise.

[RussianConservative]

representative of the industrialist and business union,

These are oligarchs, what is to be expected? They are typical liars.

[struwwelpeter]

Actually, he looks more like a bureaucrat to me:

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President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (employers)
Arkady VOLSKY

Born on May 15, 1932, in the city of Dobrush of the Gomel region. In 1955 graduated from the Moscow Institute of Steel and Alloys. From 1955 through 1969 worked as foreman assistant, foreman, superintendent of foundry, secretary of Communist party organization at the I. Likhachev Moscow Automotive Plant. In 1969 was transferred from the plant to the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party, where worked as sector head and later deputy head, first deputy head of the engineering department. In 1983 was economic aide of Yu. Andropov, the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Soviet Communist Party (CPSU) and in 1984 held the same position under K. Chernenko, who replaced Andropov. In 1985 became head of the engineering department of the CPSU Central Committee. From 1986 to 1990 was member of the CPSU Central Committee. In 1988 was representative of the CPSU Central Committee and the USSR Supreme Soviet to the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region (NKAR) of Azerbaijan. From January 1989 was chairman of the Committee on Special Governing of NKAR. In the spring of 1989 was elected USSR people’s deputy from the Stepanakert territorial election district (NKAR). From 1989 till 1992 was member of the USSR Supreme Soviet Committee on Defense and State Security.

From June 1990 was President of the USSR Science and Industry Council, which in December 1991 was transformed into the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RUIE). Since January 1992 has been President of RUIE and Coordinating Chairman of the International Congress of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (ICIE). Has been Honorary Chairman of the Congress’ Council since 1996.

Serves as Chairman of the Russian-Japanese Committee on Economic Cooperation, Chairman of the Council on Trade and Economic Cooperation between CIS countries and the U.S., Chairman from the Russian side of the Russian-Chinese Committee of Friendship, Peace and Development in the 21th century.

Laureate of the USSR State Prize, honored with a number of government awards. Author of numerous articles on economics and politics. Academician.