YEKATERINBURG, April 27. /TASS/. Russian Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov has arrived in the Sverdlovsk Region to assess activities on providing assistance to the population affected by fires, the press service of the ministry told TASS.

"The minister together with Governor of the Sverdlovsk Region Yevgeny Kuyvashev will fly over the area and visit settlements where the fire destroyed more than 14 houses, he will meet representatives of municipal authorities and local residents. During the working trip Alexander Kurenkov will estimate how primary disaster relief for people whose houses were affected by the fires, has been organized. He will also hold a meeting on issues of providing assistance to the population," the press service said.

The press service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry told TASS earlier that the fires in the Sverdlovsk Region’s settlements of Sosva and Tayozhny were localized on the area of 9,000 square meters and 2,700 square meters, respectively. A state of emergency was declared in the settlement of Sosva. Two people died as a result of fires. The Investigative Committee initiated two criminal cases: for possible negligence of officials and for causing the death of a person whose body was found during the firefighting operations.