A wildfire broke out in the Kostanay region on September 2, affecting an estimated 43,000 hectares of land and forcing more than a thousand people out of their homes, QazMonitor reports citing the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.
The official reports state that 108 houses were destroyed and 1,841 people were evacuated from the area - from the village of Ozernoe (250 people), Amankaragai (1,000 people), Kalinino (228 people), and Lesnoe (363 people).
Over 196 vehicles, 7 aircrafts, 5 fire trains, and 1526 personnel are involved in extinguishing the fires. The Ministry established headquarters on the site of the disaster, with the minister Yuri Ilyin operating relief efforts.
Assessing the situation on September 4, the city council of the Kostanay region declared a state of emergency.
Local executive authorities organized the accommodation of evacuees in Auliekol high school and food provisions at Auliekol boarding school. Currently, 66 people are in the evacuation points, with the rest already returning to their homes.
On the same day, minister Yuri Ilyin held a briefing on the current state of affairs.
The situation at 6 p.m. remains complicated but stable. There is no risk of the fire spreading to residential areas. The sources of fire in the settlements have been completely extinguished. Right now, we are working to reduce the fire in the forests.
With the General Prosecutor's Office launching a pre-trial investigation, the minister is investigating different causes of fire, ranging from dry thunderstorms to intentional arson.
As of 8 p.m., firefighters were extinguishing fires at four sites in the forest zone, near the villages of Amankaragai, Lesnoe, Ozernoe, and Baganlay.
The Government also held an emergency meeting, during which the prime minister instructed ministries on the relief efforts.
Ministries of Emergency Situations, Industry and Infrastructural Development, Agriculture, Finance, and the city council of the Kostanay region are tasked with assessing the damage to the population and agricultural lands. The Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of National Economy are to prepare a draft decree of allocation funds from the Government reserve to compensate for the damage.
In addition, the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development was instructed to ensure the restoration of transport communication in the region and the uninterrupted functioning of all engineering and infrastructure facilities.
The Ministry of Healthcare, Ministry of Labor, the Ministry of Agriculture as well as the regional akimat are to provide the necessary medical and social assistance to the victims of the disaster. The Ministry of Internal Affairs ensures public safety and security of citizens’ property in evacuation zones.
The prime minister also noted that the authorities should start immediately building new houses for those who lost their homes.