November 18, 2013. The investigative authorities are now deciding whether criminal proceedings should be instituted regarding the fact that heat supply was interrupted in the southern part of Polevskoy, the spokesperson for public prosecution authorities of Sverdlovsk Region reports.

The heat and hot water supply stopped at 12:10 PM on November 14 as the supplier, ZAO GAZEX, stopped delivering natural gas to the boiling house of Novaya Energetika. As a result, 190 apartment buildings with a total of 15,000 residents, seven kindergartens, six schools, three hospitals, and an orphanage were left with no heating or hot water.

Things only went back to normal after Sverdlovsk Region Minister for Communal Housing Service & Utilities Nikolai Smirnov interfered. The heat supply was resumed on at 4:30 AM on November 15, 2013.

Sverdlovsk Region Government asked the public prosecution authorities to look into the incident. The authorities carried out their inspection and placed the files with the investigative bodies.