At least three people have died and more than 40 others have been hospitalised following a mass poisoning at a boarding house in the Moscow region town of Vidnoye. The incident has prompted a major investigation by Russian authorities, who have opened a criminal case under Article 238 of the Russian Criminal Code.
According to the Main Investigative Directorate of the Investigative Committee of Russia for the Moscow Region, there were 73 residents in the boarding house at the time of the incident. Fifty-five individuals were initially assessed on site, with over 40 taken to hospital in varying degrees of severity.
Investigators and forensic experts have inspected the boarding house, seizing documentation and collecting food samples and utensils for testing. Representatives from Rospotrebnadzor, the federal consumer rights watchdog, have also taken food samples for further analysis.
The investigation is ongoing, with interrogations being conducted with the management of the institution and residents to establish the reasons and conditions that contributed to the crime. Authorities have not yet identified the source of the poisoning, and fears remain that the death toll could rise.
