Penza, 12 February 2016. PenzaNews. The law enforcement forces in Kuznetsk of the Penza region have initiated a criminal case on negligent homicide after an elderly woman died from a pile of snow that had fallen on her head.

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“According to preliminary data, in the daytime of 20 January 2016, a pile of snow fell from a two-story building on Kalinina street in Kuznetsk fell on two women who were passing by, causing them to fall down. One of them, aged 61, was hospitalized with bodily injuries to the city hospital. She passed away in the rehabilitation unit on Tuesday, February 9, in spite of all effort by the doctors,” Lyudmila Fomina, Senior Assistant of the Head of the Investigative Department of the city Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation, told PenzaNews agency.

A forensic medical examination will establish the causes of death, she added.

“During the criminal investigation, the investigators will be finding out the communal organization responsible for servicing the building and identifying the person responsible for proper and timely roof snow removal,” Lyudmila Fomina said.