Apartment buildings, schools, and hospitals lose heat in Novosibirsk as temperatures drop below freezing

At least 124 residential buildings and 10 public facilities such as schools in Novosibirsk have lost heat and hot water following a technical failure on the central heating system in the city’s Leninsky District, according to local media.

Videos taken by local residents show streets and homes in the area being flooded.

The regional authorities said that the situation is “being monitored by the Housing and Energy Ministry” and promised to restore heat to people’s homes by the end of the day on Thursday. The Russian Investigative Committee has reportedly launched a criminal case over alleged safety violations.

According to the Novosibirsk Mayor’s Office, more than 20 schools have shortened classes or switched to remote learning due to the heating outage. Additionally, multiple hospitals in the city have reportedly postponed all previously scheduled hospitalizations and surgeries. In the city’s Kirovsky District, tram services have been suspended.

Thursday saw temperatures as low as -15 degrees Celsius (5 degree Fahrenheit) in Novosibirsk.