Devastating wildfires engulf southern Russia, claiming lives and property
Image credit: Copernicus EU/Sentinel-2. Processed by Pierre Markuse. Acquired on May 6, 2023
A wave of rampant wildfires has swept across the oblasts of Kurgan and Tyumen in the southern Ural Mountains area and western Siberia in southern Russia, leading to loss of life and extensive property damage.
According to media reports, the destructive fires have claimed the lives of at least 21 individuals and razed more than 5 000 buildings to the ground.
As a response to the escalating situation, authorities have declared a state of emergency in the entire Kurgan Oblast.
The Joint Research Centre’s Global Wildfire Information System (GWIS) forecasts that the risk of further wildfires in the affected areas remains high to extreme over the next 24 hours.
References:
1 Russia – Wildfires – DG ECHO – May 10, 2023
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How awful. Prayers for those people.