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Two die, hundreds lose homes in fires in Russia’s Siberia

A total of 73 homes in the town of Kansk in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region have been damaged by fire, their residents total 207, including 23 children

MOSCOW, May 24. /TASS/. Two people died in the fires that hit the town of Kansk in Russia’s Krasnoyarsk region (Siberia), a source in the regional emergencies agency told TASS.

A total of 73 homes in Kansk have been damaged by fire, their residents total 207, including 23 children.

Meanwhile, fires in the towns of Kansk and Lesosibirsk have been contained, said Vladimir Marchenko, Chief of the Siberian Regional Center’s office of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.

Firefighting teams succeeded in protecting from fires nearly 5,500 homes in the Krasnoyarsk and Irkutsk regions, Marchenko added.

At the same time, temporary accommodation centers have opened for people whose homes burned down, all the necessary assistance is being provided to them.

"The number of personnel and equipment involved in the firefighting activities has been increasing, three firefighting trains and two Mil Mi-8 helicopters are being used to combat the blazes," he added. At present, more than 400 firefighters and 130 units of equipment are involved in fighting the flames.

According to the Siberian Regional Center of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, fires hit four settlements. Apart from homes, two timber processing centers and one sawmill have also been destroyed by fire.

Russian Emergencies Minister Vladimir Puchkov has ordered to deploy Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft, Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft and Mil Mi-8 helicopters to combat fires in the Krasnoyarsk region.