MOSCOW, April 20, 2019 (BSS/TASS)- A total of 17 people were injured in
wildfires that rage in southeast Siberia’s Trans-Baikal region, the Russian
emergencies ministry’s press service told TASS.
“A total of 17 people were injured, eight of them were hospitalized. 108
residents were evacuated, 83 of them are staying at emergency shelters,” a
spokesperson said.
According to the ministry, the wildfires affected 14 villages and towns in
the area.
“The fire was put out in 11 out of 14 wildfire-hit settlements in the
Trans-Baikal Region and contained in the remaining three,” the source added.
According to the Russian emergencies ministry’s latest update, the fire
destroyed 152 buildings, 98 of them are residential ones.
The firefighting effort involves over 300 people and 54 pieces of hardware.
By 3:00 Saturday Moscow time, two Be-200 firefighting planes will arrive to
the regional capital Chita.
At the moment, the emergencies ministry has been redeploying its personnel
and equipment to areas where the situation is most dangerous.
The ministry attributes the wildfires to unfavorable weather conditions,
such as strong winds and a sudden spell of unnaturally warm weather which
occurred when lakes and rivers were still covered by ice. Currently, the wind
subsides and the air is getting colder.