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The death toll from wildfires in Russia's Ural Mountains rose to 21 Tuesday, Russian state news agency Tass reported, citing local emergency service agencies.
Wildfires have raged in the Kurgan region of the Urals and in Siberia all week. A resident of western Siberia's Tyumen province died while attempting to extinguish a fire.
According to local authorities, most of the deaths occurred Sunday in the Kurgan province village of Yuldus, which is located on the border between the Ural Mountains and Siberia.
"The death toll may increase," regional emergency service officials said.
A state of emergency was introduced in the province, where more than 5,000 buildings have burned down. Fires also have engulfed thousands of hectares (acres) in Sverdlovsk province, and in Siberia's Omsk and Tyumen provinces.
During a Monday visit to Kurgan province, Russia's emergency situations minister of Emergency Situations said settlements were no longer at risk from the blazes, though local media reported Tuesday that fires still burned there, as well as in Sverdlovsk and Tyumen.
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