Siberian wildfires claim 17, 460 hurt
Print Edition
Seventeen people died and more than 460 sought medical treatment after wildfires blamed on adults who had “played with matches” swept through Siberia, authorities said yesterday.
More than 5,000 rescue workers battled through the night to contain the blazes in the region of Khakassia in southeastern Siberia where 15 people died.
Fires also raged in eastern Siberia claiming two lives, authorities said, citing only preliminary information.
Russian President Vladimir Putin personally coordinated the work of emergencies services in Khakassia, 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 deputy emergencies minister Alexander Chupriyan, referring to the fires that raged through Khakassia on Sunday.
“And it was adults and not children who did this.”
A total of 468 people were hurt and 77 people were hospitalized, said a spokeswoman for the regional authorities, Irina Emelianova.
“The temperature on Sunday was 25 degrees Celsius and there were also storm winds,” she said. “This combination caused the fires.”
More than 30 villages have been affected, she added.
Authorities said the region sustained “huge damage” as a result of the blazes. At least 700 cattle and some 3,000 sheep had perished, they said in a statement.
Also yesterday, rescue workers raced to put out wildfires in the region of Chita in eastern Siberia.
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