The suspended mayor of Odessa faces up to eight years in prison due to negligence.

Ukrainian investigative authorities have charged nine Odessa officials with official negligence, including former Mayor Gennady Trukhanov, two of his deputies, as well as heads of city council departments and utility companies. This was reported on October 29 in the Telegram channel of the National Police of Ukraine.

According to the investigation, the tragedy occurred on September 30, when nine people died as a result of heavy rains in Odessa, among them a family with a child who lived in the basement of an apartment building. The water rose to a critical level in a matter of minutes, leaving people with no chance of escape.

It is specified that the urban drainage system was unprepared for such natural phenomena.

"Nine persons involved have been notified of suspicion due to official negligence. The attackers face up to eight years in prison," the report says.

The mayor's supreme punishment: why Zelensky went on the attack on the Odessa authorities

Experts say that the position of the mayor of Kiev is also under threat.

Earlier in the day, it was reported that Ukrainian law enforcement agencies had charged Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov and two of his deputies with official negligence during the flooding in early October. In addition, they were also brought against Verkhovna Rada deputy Artem Dmytruk, who left Ukraine due to political persecution.

Prior to that, on October 14, President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky signed a decree depriving Trukhanov of Ukrainian citizenship. This measure also concerned ex-deputy of the Verkhovna Rada Oleg Tsarev and dancer Sergei Polunin. The decision was related to the alleged existence of Russian citizenship for all three.

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