Two men have been arrested after a zipline accident killed two people at the “Sheki Yaylasi” recreation centre in Sheki district. Investigators charged the resort’s owner and the man responsible for building the zipline tower, and a court ordered both held in pretrial detention.
The investigation into the fatal zipline accident at “Sheki Yaylasi” is still under way. The accident happened on September 8 at the recreation centre in the village of Bash Kaldak in Sheki district, when Uchal Bayramov and Joshgun Mammadzade fell from height while riding the zipline and died of their injuries at the scene. The Sheki district prosecutor’s office opened a criminal case over the incident.
As part of the probe, investigators took statements from several witnesses and ordered a forensic medical examination, a comprehensive labour-safety inspection, and construction-technical, traceological and chemical-physical forensic examinations. Requests for information were also sent to relevant state agencies.
Investigators have well-founded suspicions that Ramiz Huseynov, the businessman who ran the recreation centre, had been negligent in his duties and failed to take necessary safety measures, and that this negligence caused the two deaths. The investigation also established that Huseynov verbally instructed Abaset Pashayev, who had no proper permit or professional training, to build the zipline tower, and that the tower was built illegally under Huseynov’s direction and instructions.
A bend in the tower’s metal frame caused the cables to vibrate, which in turn made the main movement mechanism come off the cable. A plastic part of a hand-made braking component had also been fitted onto the cable, causing further vibration; that part eventually tore, leading to the fatal accident.
Charges and pretrial detention
The case has been classified under Articles 124.2 (causing the death of two or more persons by negligence) and 314.3 (negligent performance of duties resulting in the death of two people) of the Criminal Code. On November 2, Ramiz Huseynov was charged under Article 314.3 and Abaset Pashayev under Article 124.2.
At the prosecutor’s request, the Sheki district court ordered pretrial detention for both men. The preliminary investigation into the criminal case is still ongoing.
