29 December 2007, 11:08
Mass disorders start in Dagestan capital due to power failure
A meeting of protest is going on in Makhachkala against power failure.
All traffic in the center of Makhachkala is paralyzed at the moment. A jam of several hundreds of cars has blocked the crossing of Shamil Avenue and Kazbekov Street (the so-called the "Trolley-bus Depot").
Residents of nearby houses have built barricades in the streets, protesting against power cuts-off in their houses. Individual drivers who try to escape through the cordon are being stopped by picketers literally rushing under their wheels.
The "Caucasian Knot" correspondent has witnessed a car running over a Makhachkala resident. Indignant citizens have started throwing stones at the car and turning it over. The militia officers on duty are not able to manage the furious crowd. The ambulance is not able to get to the place of the accident.
Picketers chant slogans demanding retirement of Said Amirov, Makhachkala mayor, and Mukha Aliev, president of Dagestan, accusing them of inability to resolve the situation with the city power supply.
Similar actions are under way in other Makhachkala districts. No representatives of the city administration have visited the venues. According to the information obtained by the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent, the functionaries are celebrating the New Year in one of the city restaurants.
Author: Oleg Ionov, CK correspondent
