Twenty-six people have died and almost a thousand have sought medical treatment after wildfires swept through Siberia.
More than 5,000 rescue workers battled through the night to contain the blazes in the region of Khakassia in south-eastern Siberia, where 23 people died. Fires also raged in eastern Siberia, claiming three lives, authorities said.
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, personally coordinated the work of the emergency services, his spokesman said.
The authorities blamed the fire on human carelessness, with people setting dry grass ablaze amid warm temperatures and high winds.
“This fire would not have happened if no one played with matches,” said the deputy emergencies minister, Alexander Chupriyan, referring to the fires that raged through Kakhassia on Sunday. He added: “It was adults and not children who did this.”....
Emelianova told AFP: “The temperature on Sunday was 25C (77F) and there were also storm winds. This combination caused the fires. We have never had this before.” She said more than 30 villages had been affected.
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/apr/13/siberian-wildfires-people-killed-and-hundreds-injured
No comments:
Post a Comment