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Ministry reports one emergency situation, 2,000 fires during New Year holidays

"More than 600 persons have been rescued," head of the Ministry's crisis control center Vladimir Stepanov said

MOSCOW, January 3 (Itar-Tass) — The Russian Emergency Situations Ministry reported one emergency situation and more than 2,000 fires during the New Year holidays in the country.

"One emergency situation and 2,056 fires have occurred over the holidays, down 18 percent from the same period last year. More than 600 persons have been rescued," head of the Ministry's crisis control center Vladimir Stepanov said. The death toll from fires is down by 20 percent, he added.

According to Stepanov, 80 percent of fires occurred in the housing sector.

The rate of fires was largely down across the country, except the Kursk, Ulyanovsk, Tver, Samara, and Pskov regions and the Krasnoyarsk Territory.