Support The Moscow Times!

Wildfires Claim First 2 Deaths

The burnt remains of trees covering a country road.

Wildfires have claimed their first two deaths this year as they burned down dozens of houses in the Far East, news reports said Monday.

A woman in her 70s died Sunday in the hospital after suffering serious burns and injuries from a rapidly spreading fire that entered the village of Tygda in the Amur region last week, RIA-Novosti reported.

The body of one more victim was found in smoldering ruins Friday.

Wildfires destroyed at least 83 buildings, including 46 houses, in Tygda, which had consisted of 1,245 houses. A total of 346 people were injured, RIA-Novosti said.

Wildfires continued to rage in 12 areas of the Amur region on Monday morning.

The Emergency Situations Ministry has warned that wildfires could threaten more than 12,000 cities, towns and villages across Russia this year. Dozens of people died in wildfires in 2010, when central Russia, including Moscow, was blanketed by smoke.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more