Strong winds fan dozens of fires in Russia's Rostov region, governor says


  • World
  • Sunday, 15 Sep 2024

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Strong winds fanned fires sparked by downed power lines and carelessness in multiple settlements across Russia's southern Rostov region, Governor Vasily Golubev reported on Sunday.

Since the start of the day, authorities recorded more than 50 fires, with 30 remaining active. Several blazes spread to residential areas, causing limited evacuations.

More than 2,000 firefighters and nearly 300 pieces of equipment were engaged in efforts to bring the blazes under control.

The Rostov region, a key agricultural area, contributed more than 11% of Russia's total grain harvest last year. However, the region faced early spring frosts and subsequent drought in 2024, leading to an anticipated 30% decline in this year's harvest compared to 2023.

(Reporting by Reuters; Writing by Maxim Rodionov, Editing by Ron Popeski and Andrea Ricci)

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In World

Roundup: S&P 500 falls into correction territory amid continuous sell-off
Roundup: Europe against new U.S. tariffs, wine, spirits industry concerned
Number of migrants stopped entering US from Canada drops to multi-year low
Weekly storage of natural gas in U.S. decreases: EIA
Mexico cooperating with U.S. but more work needed on drugs, says Rubio
Philippines' Duterte to have first hearing at ICC on Friday
Portugal's president disbands parliament, calls election on May 18
U.S. stocks close lower
U.S. to see significant severe weather into weekend
Ukraine's Zelenskiy says Putin does not want ceasefire

Others Also Read