The tragedy that occurred on Friday, December 5, during the construction of the eastern border highlighted alarming questions about labor safety in a state-significant project. The death of two workers in Lake Pitelis occurred under circumstances that responsible agencies avoid providing clear explanations for. Moreover, this is not the first accident at the border construction, TV3 News reports.
On Friday, December 5, at 16:16, rescuers received a call from the Ludza region. It was reported that a boat with five people capsized on Lake Pitelis. The border between Latvia and Russia runs through the center of the lake. A pontoon has been installed there for the needs of border guards.
The boat contained employees of the subcontractor of the State Joint Stock Company "Latvijas autoceļu uzturētājs," returning from a site to the shore. Initially, bystanders came to help the drowning individuals, and then rescuers arrived at the scene.
"Firefighters rescued five people and brought them to shore, one of whom was pronounced dead by the emergency medical service. Due to the onset of darkness, operations for that day were concluded, and the search continued on Saturday, when the body of the second victim was found during the examination of the water body," said Victoria Gribuste, head of the public information and education department of the State Fire and Rescue Service.
In the Latgale region, law enforcement officials are currently reluctant to comment on the incident — they need to establish the circumstances of the tragedy and determine who is responsible.
"In connection with the incident in the Northern Latgale section of the Latgale regional division of the State Police, a criminal process has been initiated. During the investigation, the circumstances are being clarified, and at this moment, we will refrain from more detailed comments. The criminal process has been initiated under Article 12 of the Criminal Law — on the grounds of a crime against a group of public interests," clarified State Police representative Julia Jurjane.
Why did the boat capsize? Did the workers have life jackets? What exactly happened? None of the responsible institutions provide direct answers to these questions.
"Latvijas autoceļu uzturētājs" stated in a written comment that the subcontractor is responsible for the safety of its workers. Two occupational safety coordinators were appointed by the enterprise to the site, who regularly conduct inspections. The rest, they say, will be clarified by the police investigation.
Similarly, the State Joint Stock Company "Valsts nekustamie īpašumi" (VNĪ), responsible for the construction of the eastern border infrastructure, does not disclose details of the tragic incident, emphasizing that the police are handling it. At the same time, the enterprise promised to conduct its own assessment and identify the mistakes that led to the deaths of two individuals.
"As clients, we regularly conduct both anonymous visits to construction sites, and our project managers, construction supervisors, and occupational safety specialists visit all contractors. If violations are identified, we will respond more strictly to improve the system," assured VNĪ Chairman Renars Grishkevich.
There has already been a fatal incident in the work to strengthen Latvia's eastern border. In March last year, during construction on the border with Belarus, an excavator slid into the river, and its operator died. But at that time, as well as now, nothing indicated a possible danger.
"This is not the first, but the second accident. In all previous inspection visits, only minor violations were identified, which were rectified within a day," noted VNĪ Chairman.
The Ludza municipality could not provide additional details about the tragedy on December 5, as the site pertains to critical infrastructure and is closed to public access.
