© Anatoly Kukaev
More than 70 people were injured in a massive wildfire in the Republic of Khakassia in Siberia. Information about the death of two people is currently being verified, according to the official website of the republic.
On Sunday, due to strong gusty winds in Khakassia, the risk of fire escalated sharply. At 1:00 PM local time, the head of the republic introduced an emergency regime in Khakassia. Earlier, a law enforcement source in the region said that as a result of fires in Khakassia, 47 people had been injured and two died, reports RIA Novosti.
"As of 6:00 PM local time the fire has affected more than 70 people. There is circumstantial evidence of two of the victims. The numbers are constantly being clarified," said in a statement.
Earlier it was reported that, according to recent data, 118 houses had burned down and a state of emergency was announced.
The reason for the fire, according to preliminary data, was the dry vegetation which caught fire instigated by strong gusts of wind that reached 30 meters per second.
More than 20 villages and towns were engulfed by the fires from the grass burning as dry and windy weather has set in, the ministry said.
More than 1,000 firefighters have been tackling the fire, and two planes and a helicopter were deployed. But the head of the ministry's crisis centre in the Khakassia Republic said strong winds were hampering the fire fight.
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