State of emergency in Vladivostok: it's a shame when children and old people are freezing

A popular Vladivostok blogger, whose publications are subscribed to by almost 63 thousand people, Diana Udovichenko wrote an extremely tough post about the situation in her city. At first glance, it is about how Vladivostok's utilities work, however, as it turned out, the problem is not utilities, but the thoroughly cynical style of city management. Here is what Udovichenko writes (the spelling and stylistics of the author are preserved):

“So, on November 19, after a freezing rain, in the area of the Morskoye Cemetery, two power transmission towers fell, which fed the largest sleeping areas of the city. As a result, hundreds of apartment buildings were left without electricity. Also without heating.

Power engineers promise to establish the supply of electricity to the environment. Yes, work is underway there. They sawed one support to get to the second one sawed trees (there is also a forest)

Question: why was burial in the area of the pillars allowed? Why was it impossible to cut down the trees next to them in advance, in order to avoid an emergency?

Wires have been cut throughout the city. Branches of trees, unable to withstand the wind and the weight of the ice, broke and fell on the wires.

Question: why are tree branches not cut down where they can fall on the wires? After all, Vladivostok is a city of winds and typhoons. This had to happen sooner or later.

The shops in the residential areas ran out of drinking water and bread. The food in the refrigerators has gone bad. Suppliers cannot bring new ones. First, many of them were also left without electricity in production. Secondly, the roads are frozen. Roads that don't exist.

The question is: why in the most "automobile" city of the country, where all motorists pay taxes on cars, there are no roads to their homes? Near our house, all the roads are in holes so deep that at least half of the wheel can fit there. The rest of the roads are in potholes, bumps, and practically no asphalt. Now imagine that all this is on the ups and downs. And that all of this is now covered in ice.

In the affected areas, some kind of help points are deployed somewhere. The administration "notified" the townspeople on the websites, in publics and groups.

Question: how should the townspeople find out about this, if there is practically no Internet in the city, there is no electricity for the fourth day, most of the phones are dead? How should older people who do not use the Internet find out about this?

Question: what will happen to the heating? What happens if pipes freeze in the affected areas? It's frosty outside.

Question: what will happen if the sewer freezes?

There is practically no television in the city either. People from other regions say that little is said about Vladivostok, and in passing.

Question: where is the help from the federal government? Where is the Federal Emergencies Ministry?

Everyone knows: I am not inclined to panic and hysteria, I take everything with humor. So: this time I have no humor. This has never happened. And it's not just the elements. The fact is that everyone in the utilities is on snot. And this was to be expected.

And I will tell the truth about Vladivostok.

The truth is, this isn't just an emergency. This is a catastrophe.

Administration of Vladivostok! Seems like you wanted popular bloggers to collaborate with you?

So, I'm collaborating. I hope you will enjoy.

***

Yesterday I received a call from the Minister for the Development of the Far East and the Arctic, Alexey Olegovich Chekunkov. Yes, I understand, it sounds crazy: where am I and where is the minister. Nevertheless, he called me. And he said that he was flying to Vladivostok.

That my post was read by all the ministers, including Mishustin.

That the case is under federal control.

That a working group is being created to eliminate the consequences of the cataclysm, which will be supervised from Moscow.

And I told him about everything that happened and is happening here. Trying very hard to express myself without much expression. Apparently I did it.

At first I even thought it was a prank. But all the newspapers have reported this today. Yes, and Alexey Olegovich himself wrote in the morning that he had arrived, was driving, examining the scale of the disaster, and agreed with my conclusions.

He said that the heating is already being adjusted, but the light is more difficult there. I was not surprised. Then what happened - it happened. The feds are not wizards. The main thing is that now it will not be possible to silence the problem. And the problem is obvious: in a region with a difficult climate, one must be prepared for anything. And safety precautions must be observed. And to organize normal assistance to people in case of emergency. I said that too. She said a lot in general. Since the case turned up. Not every day ministers call and write to me.

And most importantly, it was necessary to admit the problem from the very beginning, and ask for help from Moscow. And do not report cheerfully.

Thanks to all of our readers who helped create a public outcry. People began to transmit information to websites, newspapers, and TV channels. Who could where.

It's not a shame to ask for help. Shouting about a problem is not a shame. There is no shame in criticizing the poor performance of the authorities.

It's a shame when children, old people and sick people are freezing.

Hold on, fellow countrymen. I'm helping with what I can..."