Russians are being warned of the dangers of the spring thaw after a young university graduate was killed by an icicle that fell 14 storeys onto her head . Tatyana Igonina , 20 , died just a few steps outside the front door to her home after she had left to take her dog for a walk . Her mother and doctors who had arrived at the scene in Novosibirsk , Siberia , narrowly missed being hit by further blocks of ice as they tended to her body . Scroll down for video . Tatyana Igonina , 20 , was killed just a few steps from her front door after a falling icicle hit her in the head . The incident is the latest involving falling icicles to take place across Russia as the rising temperatures begin a thaw , according to The Siberian Times . Public authorities have been tasked with clearing roofs of any overhanging ice , but in some cities they are coming under scrutiny following a spate of injuries and near-misses . Tributes were paid to Ms Igonina , an only child , on Russian social media sites . She had spent the New Year on a sunshine break to Thailand and was said to be 'very happy ' with her life . In a post on Vkontakte social media her cousin , Vladimir Makhonin , wrote : ' I will never forget her laughter , her eyes and smile . Farewell beloved sister . I would give everything to hear her voice again . ' According to one of Ms Igonina 's friends , investigators refused to approach her body until all remaining icicles were removed from the block of flats . In another tribute , a friend also wrote : 'How to live forever now . Our beauty . ' Ms Igonina had recently graduated from university and was looking for a job . According to one of her friends investigators refused to approach her body until all remaining icicles were removed from the block of flats . Following a decree from the mayor of Novosibirsk , public service officials had cleared the roof a week before the tragedy but did not notice blocks office that had formed on a canopy belonging to one of the residents . It had been assumed the owner would clear the canopy himself , but he did not . Residents in Russia are used to seeing icicles and snow falling from roofs during winter and particularly in spring when the thaw begins . Icicles ( pictured overhanging a balcony in Siberia ) have caused dozens of deaths over the past few years after they thaw and then fall onto people passing below . In 2010 , five people died and 150 were injured by icicles in St Petersburg amid the coldest winter for three decades . Nine years earlier 74 people in Moscow were the victims of falling ice , including an 18-year-old killed by a falling shard at his military base . The last death in Siberia occurred in January 2008 when an 83-year-old was killed , but there have been a number of serious injuries and near misses involving ice this month . In Novokuznetsk on March 15 , a day after Tanya 's death , a snow boulder fell on a 17-year-old girl , leaving her with a head wound . The same day , in Ulan-Ude , an icicle hit a 10-year-old boy who was walking with his friend . A day later , Irkutsk an ice block fell on a 40-year-old woman , as she walked into a shoe shop with her 18-month-old and three-year-old granddaughters . She did not lose consciousness but was taken to hospital with a suspected concussion . Friends paying tribute to her today said she was 'very happy ' with her life and was looking for a job having just graduated from university .
Tatyana Igonina , 14 , died just a few steps outside front door of her home . An icicle thawing in spring weather fell 20 storeys and landed on her head . Authorities are warning Russians to beware of the dangers of thawing ice . She had only recently graduated from university and was looking for work .