Rather to overestimate the situation and throw all forces than underestimate it — Kazakh PM on response to natural fires

The situation with a large natural fire in Abay region off the agenda was considered at the Government session chaired by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov, El.kz cites primeminister.kz.

The Head of Government noted that after the outbreak of fire in the region the area of fire increased sharply, there was a threat to a number of settlements. In this regard, the evacuation of residents was carried out, and in Semey introduced the mode of emergency of local scale.

"For a rapid response, regular meetings of the coordination headquarters were held. Unfortunately, people were killed. We lost 14 people who were trying to resist the fire and save the forest. On behalf of the Government, I express my condolences to the families and friends of the victims. All the necessary assistance to the families of the victims will be provided by both the Government and the Akimat," the Prime Minister said.

Then the members of the Cabinet of Ministers honored the memory of those killed in the fire with a minute of silence.

The Prime Minister said that in execution of the instructions of the Head of State the following support measures will be provided to the families of the victims:

1) 7 million tenge will be paid from the funds of the "Kazakhstan Halqina" fund, as well as 2 million tenge for each minor child.

2) allowance for loss of breadwinner from the national budget for all disabled family members (children under the age of majority);

3) one-time social payment for loss of breadwinner from SFCS for all disabled family members;

4) provision of housing with necessary furniture;

5) one-time payment for burial from the SAPF.

Also, the credit load of the deceased persons and their family members is determined for writing off loans.

In parallel, a separate fund is created to provide the necessary support measures to the families of the deceased and victims.

As it was reported by the Akim of Abay region Nurlan Urankhayev, at present the total area of the fire is about 60 thousand hectares, of which 43 thousand hectares are active thermal spots. There is no threat to settlements. Fire extinguishing is continued in three directions: in the east of the fire is carried out by heavy equipment for making fire breaks, in other two directions extinguishing is carried out by foot and by helicopter taking into consideration terrain difficult of access. In general, 1532 people, 321 vehicles and 14 helicopters are involved in fire suppression.

As a result of the fire three houses and two pieces of equipment were burned. Two forestry workers, who suffered from carbon monoxide poisoning, are on the mend. A search for the missing tractor driver continues. On behalf of the head of state the work is underway to help families of 14 workers of Uspensk forestry who died.

Prime Minister stressed that it is necessary to make every effort to extinguish natural fires at an early stage by sending forces and means as quickly as possible in order to prevent the fire from spreading over large areas.

"The correctness of steps taken in the first hours, on the first day of the steppe or forest fire is very important. Here it is better to overestimate the situation and throw all forces than to underestimate it," Alikhan Smailov said.

In this connection, the Prime Minister instructed to take measures to equip the country's national parks and forest farms with early fire detection and monitoring systems, as well as to revise the algorithm of state agencies' response to natural fires.

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