MOSCOW, December 2 (Itar-Tass) —— Russian Minister of Emergency Situations Vladimir Puchkov is on a flight by helicopter over the Leningrad, Novgorod and Tver Regions, which were stricken in a heavy snowfall, the main department of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) told Itar-Tass on Sunday.
“Vladimir Puchkov will be controlling the operation of all emergency services to clean up the aftermaths of the natural disaster in the disaster area,” a source in the EMERCOM main department said. He will also inspect what measures are being taken for the motor traffic and the provision of the drivers with hot meals, lubricants and fuels.
A traffic jam stretching out for many kilometres has formed and the trucks turned out to be blocked on the highway Rossiya over a heavy snowfall last Friday. The traffic situation has improved, but the traffic of trucks is complicated on the highway over the need to provide the free access to the snowploughs. The traffic of cars and buses is in the routine mode, the source said.
Hot meals are offered on the highway, the stations to make the drivers warm and medical services for them are provided, the fuel supplies are delivered timely.
The round-the-clock hotline was opened in the main emergency situation department in the Tver Region.
The traffic situation on this highway, where the traffic jams stretching out for many kilometres have formed over the snowfalls, has stabilized at 09:00 Moscow time on Sunday.
The regional road police suspended the traffic in the direction of St. Petersburg according to the emergency plan in order to allow the snowploughs to work.