Investigation Resumes into Krustkalni Fire That Killed Two Children
A prosecutor at Latvia's Prosecutor General's Office annulled the decision to close the criminal case over the January fire in Krustkalni, which killed two children, on 21 September. The State Police say the investigation is continuing.
The investigation into a January fire in a residential building in the village of Krustkalni, Ķekava parish, Latvia, has resumed. Two children died in the blaze. On 21 September, a prosecutor at the Prosecutor General's Office annulled the earlier decision to close the criminal case, so the question of responsibility for the tragedy remains open.
What happened in the fire
The fire broke out on the morning of 16 January in a ground-floor apartment of a four-storey residential building. Two children, aged five and 15, were killed. The children's mother and another, younger child suffered serious injuries. Several dozen people were rescued or evacuated from the building.
Case closed, then reopened
The State Police opened a criminal case after the fire to establish the circumstances. On 10 August, however, the police closed it, saying the investigation had not established the responsibility of any individuals or legal entities. Karīna Landmesere, the lawyer for the affected family, challenged the decision, pointing to what she sees as shortcomings in the investigation.
On 21 September, a prosecutor in the Pre-trial Criminal Proceedings and Litigation Coordination Division of the Prosecutor General's Office's Criminal Law Department annulled the decision to close the case. The State Police told the portal Jauns.lv about it. They say the work is being carried out in close cooperation with the supervising prosecutor, and promised to provide information once it can be made public.
The responsible authorities have not yet disclosed the cause of the fire. Nine months after the incident, the site is surrounded by a fence, and from the outside it shows few signs of what happened.
