The National Police of Odesa Oblast have detained a suspect in the hotel fire that killed nine people on Aug. 17 in Odesa, the southern Black Sea port city of 1 million people located 475 kilometers south of Kyiv.
The Odesa police took local businessman Vadym Cherny, owner of the Tokyo Star hotel, into custody. He is suspected of violating fire safety requirements established by Ukrainian legislation.
Cherny has earlier denied wrongdoing, but said he is ready to take responsibility if it was the hotel’s fault.
The court will decide whether to hold Cherny in pretrial detention on Aug. 19.
Tokyo Star is one of the cheapest hotels in Odesa, where prices start from Hr 390 ($14) per night for a room without a window. It is located near the city’s train station and famous local Privoz market.
The Aug. 17 fire occurred late at night when most of the hotel residents were asleep. The firefighters were able to stop the fire, which covered more than 1,000 square meters, only three hours after receiving the call. The fire killed nine people and injured 10.
The police have already identified six victims: five of them are Ukrainian citizens and one is Australian. Of the Ukrainian victims, two were from Odesa Oblast, two were from Kyiv and one was from Dnipro Oblast.
The police are continuing their efforts to identify the three other people including a child killed in the blaze.
Cherny, who also owns a scandalous “love hotel” called Zirka in Odesa, faces from three to eight years in prison if found guilty.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelensky said he would ensure that those responsible for the fire will be punished in accordance with the law.
