State of emergency over fires in Siberia

MOSCOW: Several fires have broken out in southern Siberia, affecting about 200 buildings and causing at least five deaths, local authorities said at the weekend, adding they had placed the area under a state of emergency.

The fires in the Krasnoyarsk region covered more than 16 zones, spreading to around 200 buildings, several sawmills and a children’s playground, the regional ministry for emergencies said on Telegram.

Authorities said some 300 firefighters and 90 vehicles were battling the blazes.

Last year, fires in Siberia belched 16 million tons of carbon into the atmosphere, according to an annual European climate report.

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