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.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter

Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysiss and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview
Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy

A Message from The Moscow Times:

Dear readers,

We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."

These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.

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 every contribution makes a significant impact.

By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.

Once
Monthly
Annual
Continue
paiment methods
Not ready to support today?
Remind me later.

Read more