A resident of Leninsk-Kuznetsk in the Kemerovo region was injured when a portion of a wind-swept banner from a shopping center tore loose. The claimant, Anastasia, told reporters that she shielded her niece from the falling structure, receiving a bruise to her head and an injury to her arm. She has since filed a police report detailing the incident and its consequences.
“While walking through the mall yesterday, attempting to shelter from the rain under a canopy, a strong gust tore a section from the canopy and sent it flying toward my niece. I managed to push it away with my hand, but I was struck on my arm and head. We reported everything to the trauma clinic, and thankfully the head and arm injuries are soft tissue in nature. We then filed a statement and examined the scene. The banner remained in place the next day, and no one had removed it. Police later indicated that a criminal act was unlikely because no corpus delicti was evident. The girl also experienced psychological trauma and fear, with a night of sleeplessness and distress. The banner’s collapse happened very close to a one-year-old child, which amplified the risk,” the witness stated.
Anastasia stressed that the incident was not her family’s fault, noting that she returned to the mall the following day and received no personal apology from the management.
“Inside the mall, a female manager suggested that the wind was to blame and implied that we should have stayed outside or waited. There was no apology from them. They stood their ground and tried to shift blame, insisting the banner should be considered a normal part of the building. The banner has hung there for a long time, but it should have been removed since it had become compromised and could fail again if gusts continued. It is the responsibility of the mall to maintain the structure, and it should have been dismantled promptly as parts of it were already unusable,” the witness observed.
Anastasia added that after a government call to the city administration, the mall staff agreed to resolve the matter amicably. However, the owner’s son reportedly behaved rudely and with sarcasm when the discussion resumed, according to the woman.
“They went to the municipality to pursue a peaceful resolution, and after leaving the administration, there was renewed effort to settle the issue at the mall. When they returned, the owner’s son greeted them with a harsh, mocking tone, asking how the proposed compensation could be calculated, and claiming that lawyers suggested a sum between fifty and one hundred thousand for non pecuniary damages. His demeanor was defiant. Without a genuine apology, the parties could not reach an understanding, and the situation remained tense,” the witness said.
Separately, a related incident occurred the day before at the Rostov-on-Don Rowing Canal, where transit stops collapsed, resulting in a casualty. Authorities have urged caution around public infrastructure that shows signs of wear or instability, and residents are reminded to report any hazards promptly to local authorities or mall management for rapid action.
[Attribution: Local news coverage and statements from involved parties documented for public record]