RUSSIA:A special Kremlin investigation into the three tragedies to hit Russia since the weekend has been ordered by the country's president, Vladimir Putin, as he sought to show leadership at a time of national grief.
An aircraft crash, followed by a mine explosion and a retirement home fire, have claimed nearly 200 lives in a matter of days, raising fresh questions about Russia's stretched emergency services and the implementation of safety controls.
Prime minister Mikhail Fradkov has now been ordered to investigate the incidents and see what lessons can be drawn from them."The information about this terrible tragedy at the Ulyanovskaya pit echoes in the hearts of Russians with pain," Mr Putin said yesterday, passing on his condolences to the families of the dead miners.
At least 105 miners, managers and a visiting British geologist, named as Ian Robertson, died when methane in the mine exploded. Five miners are still missing and at least 93 escaped.
The regional prosecutor's office has already opened its own inquiry, suspecting breaches of mining rules were to blame for the tragedy in one of the country's most modern coal mines.
Mr Putin also expressed his sympathy for the 62 elderly people and staff who died in the fire on Monday night, where locked emergency exits were blamed for contributing to the death toll.
It also took nearly an hour for emergency services to reach the scene, in the south of the Kuban region, more than 50km from the nearest large town.
Poor safety at state-run medical facilities was highlighted recently after 45 women died in a fire at a Moscow drugs and alcohol addiction centre.
The response of the emergency services has been queried in relation to the crash of an ageing commercial jet in Samara at the weekend.
Although just six of the 57 people on board died, survivors told of being strapped in the wreckage upside down for 20 minutes. Those who died were all seated in the same row. Survivors claimed it was a miracle more did not die. They also complained that they had to free themselves from the wreckage.