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BFF-28
RUSSIA-ACCIDENT
Three die at Moscow party after dry ice thrown into pool
MOSCOW, Feb 29, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Three people have died at a Moscow
birthday party after around 30 kilogrammes (65 pounds) of dry ice meant to
create special effects was tipped into a pool, investigators and reports said
Saturday.
The party at the Moscow pool complex late Friday was to mark the birthday
of Ekaterina Didenko, a popular Instagram influencer focusing on
pharmaceutical products with more than a million followers.
Two people died at the scene while a third died in hospital, Russia’s
investigative committee said in a statement, announcing a criminal probe into
the incident.
Didenko’s husband Valentin was the man who died later in hospital, the TASS
news agency reported. Four other people suffered chemical burns and
poisoning.
The RIA Novosti news agency said the victims had jumped into the pool after
the dry ice had been tipped into the water and suffered chemical reactions.
The Mash news channel on messenger service Telegram posted tearful videos
it said were of Ekaterina Didenko firstly at the hospital saying she had
survived and then, in a distraught state, paying tribute to her husband after
his death was confirmed.
The dry ice was intended to create a fog cloud over the pool. When dry ice
— the solid form of carbon dioxide — is dropped into water it creates
swirling clouds but can also cause an explosion.
BSS/AFP/MSY/1853 hrs