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Operation to protect flooded Far East unique, EMERCOM head says

Puchkov said a system of crisis management had been set up within a short period of time

MOSCOW, September 30 (Itar-Tass) - Russian Minister for Emergency Situations Vladimir Puchkov thanked on Monday ministry staffers for flood rescue efforts in the Far East, saying it had been a unique operation.

“I thank all of you for major efforts in the Far East in August and September. A unique, difficult and large-scale rescue operation was carried out,” the minister said at a ministry telephone conference.

Puchkov said a system of crisis management had been set up within a short period of time, and the activity of commissions for emergency situations in Russian regions and municipalities had been efficient.

“All this let us avoid the loss of lives, to minimize losses and accomplish repair and rescue work,” the minister said. According to Puchkov, there had been two critical situations during the floods. “This was in the Leninskoye settlement in the Jewish Autonomous Region, where rescuers together with military and local residents launched all-round defence against water, working all together round the clock,” the minister said.

The situation was also dangerous for more than 100,000 people in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. “Half of the city could have found itself under the water. But we have saved it,” Puchkov said.