Young woman killed, 4 injured, as roof caved-in under weight of snow at venue with 200 revellers

A woman medical student, 22, died from injuries when a cloakroom roof collapsed under the weight of one metre thick snow.

Four party goers were taken to hospital. 

A man suffered a broken pelvis broken, a woman broke her ankle; both underwent surgery. Two others rescued from under the rubble had minor injuries and frostbite. 

The temperature last night was -20C. 

The 27 year old man who organised the party was detained, the Russian Investigative committee said. Pictures: ngs.ru, Russian Ministry of Emergency 

The overnight party was organised inside a semi-deserted building in Akademgorodok, a world-known scientific satellite of Novosibirsk. 

Videos and pictures taken minutes before the tragedy show a bleak-looking concrete room with a crowd of 200 dancing people. 

The wooden roof collapsed after 4am over an adjacent wardrobe room, where party-goes had left their coats.

‘I was in the cloakroom the moment it happened, changing to go home. The music was very loud when I heard a sudden crack, and then a girl screamed. I rushed towards the door and jumped outside’, said an eyewitness. 

‘There were guys inside the cloakroom when it happened. They were hit by a old rotten wooden roof mixed with huge blocks of snow.’

The 27 year old man who organised the party was detained, the Russian Investigative committee said. 

A criminal case was started under clause 238 of Russian Criminal Code (provision of services that fail to meet health and safety standards).

Many of the young people who were at today’s party said they knew about the basic state of the venue, but wanted to come because they were ‘looking for somewhere edgy.’