You're reading: Prosecutors: Journalist’s death in Sports Palace could be result of violation of safety rules or accident

Investigators are working through several lines of inquiry on the death of sports journalist Yuriy Danylov in Sports Palace in Kyiv, the press service of the Prosecutor's Office of Pechersky District of Kyiv reported.

“Several theories are being worked through during the pre-trial investigation, including that it was an accident or the result of violations of safety in Sports Palace,” the press service reported with reference to District Prosecutor Dmytro Baidiuk.

“Experts of the State Service for Mining Supervision and Industrial Safety are investigating this case, as well. They will offer their opinion on the compliance with safety regulations and the causes of the incident,” the prosecutor said.

The press service of the district prosecutor’s office said that if the Sports Palace employees are found guilty of the death of the journalist they may be punished with imprisonment up to eight years.

As reported, Danylov died on November 11, 2012 in the building of Kyiv’s Sports Palace while covering a hockey match between Ukraine and Poland. An eyewitness, sports journalist Ivan Verbytsky, wrote on his Facebook page, that employees of the Sports Palace were to be blamed for this death, since at the end of the hockey match they were in a hurry to prepare the hall for a coming concert. According to him, while mounting the structures for the concert, the workers opened a hole close to the ice, into which Danylov fell and died of the injuries he received.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych said on Thursday that the Prosecutor General’s Office should ensure full and impartial investigation into the death of Danylov.