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Putin agrees to declare national emergency over oil spill in Norilsk

The Russian president lambasted the local officials for the delayed response, expressing outrage over federal officials having to find out about the incident through social networks

NOVO-OGARYOVO, June 3. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks it necessary to declare a federal emergency in the Krasnoyarsk Region over an oil spill.

At the Wednesday meeting devoted to the diesel fuel spill in the eastern Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk, Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev called for the situation to be declared a federal emergency.

"I agree with your proposal to declare an emergency," Putin responded.

Criticism over delayed response

Vladimir Putin has harshly criticized the local officials of Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Region for the delayed response to the diesel oil spill in the area of Norilsk, expressing outrage at Russian federal officials having to find out about the incident through social networks.

"Why did the officials find out about this only two days later? Are we going to find out about emergencies through social networks? Do you have a problem or something?" Putin said during a special session dedicated to the diesel oil spill in Norilsk.

The loss of containment of the diesel fuel tank occurred on the territory of the combined heat and power plant CHPP-3 in Norilsk, Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Region, on May 29. A motor vehicle entered the fuel spill then, causing the fire outbreak. About 20,000 tonnes of fuel were spilled in total.