ABAKAN, April 21. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin has demanded that the authorities in the region or Khakassia, where wildfires have damaged or destroyed more than 1,400 private households, make prompt and timely repayment of compensations for the damage.
Upon arrival in the regional capital Abakan, Putin went to a provisional facility where the people, whose houses had been destroyed by the blaze, were accommodated. The president asked them if the authorities had begun to pay out compensations to them.
He received a positive answer. Khakassia governor Viktor Zimin said a total of 1,722 repayments had been made already. "I think we’ll pay out 90% of all the compensation money by 01:00 hours on Tuesday," he said.
Putin will also chair a conference on the progress of reclamation works and assistance to people affected by the calamity.
A hurricane that struck the region on April 12 was one of the causes of sweeping wildfires that engulfed a number of villages and townships.
4,694 people were left without shelter. Two people died and another two are listed as missing. Preliminary estimates suggest the total damage stands at over 7 billion rubles (around $ 136 million).
Vladimir Putin said he will come to the region once again in 1.5 months to two months from now to see how private household were being reclaimed and rebuilt.