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Putin vows to rebuild homes destroyed by Siberian fires - by 1 September this year

By The Siberian Times reporter
17 April 2015

Tearful plea on president's televised call-in leads to promise to overcome carnage in Khakassia and Chita.

Local residents near Chita have described the events of the past few days like 'an apocalypse' with smoke covering much of the area. Picture: Yegor Zakharov

The Russian president Vladimir Putin promised to rebuild destroyed homes by 1 September, an ambitious target after horrific scenes in southern Siberia in recent days.

But the scale of the crisis was emerging last night amid fears of looting in local settlements. The death toll rose to 30 with two people missing. 

Some 6,000 have been made homeless in Khakassia. Around 1,000 needed medical treatment with 800 kept in hospital. Some 1,300 homes were razed, along with 5,000 sheep and cattle. 

'In Khakassia and Trans-Baikal region as a rule we speak about complete loss of property, because there everything burned down,' said Putin in the marathon TV show.

Wildfires Khakassia


Wildfires Khakassia


Wildfires in Khakassia

'We have a question: will there be any help to us? Because people do not have anything, it is very hard for them now...' Picture: Russia 24

Tearful Nadezhda Makarova, Vershino-Bidzha village, Khakassia asked: 'In our village eight houses were burned down. We have a question: will there be any help to us? Because people do not have anything, it is very hard for them now... (cries and covers the face with hand) We are waiting help from you...' 

Putin outlines the compensation that could be expected from the state. He also vowed to help workers at Vostochny cosmodrome  who complain of payment delays. 

The village of Shira was blitzed with 420 homes hit by flames. Facebook user Andrey Baranyuk reported: 'This is now just a God forgotten village got burnt in the middle of this taiga. 

'This is actually a district centre of Shira with 10,000 people living there. According to the regional administration head, 2,300 people suffered from fires, so nearly every fourth person was touched by the fires.'

Wildfires in Khakassia


Wildfires in Khakassia


Wildfires in Khakassia


Wildfires in Khakassia


Wildfires in Khakassia

'This is actually a district centre of Shira with 10,000 people living there.' Pictures: Vkontakte, Ekaterina Chepelina

On April 15 three looters were arrested in this settlement. A local police source said: 'Even during a fire, looters tried to assign things that owners in panic had dragged from their blazing homes. 

'And when the fire began to subside under the guise of kinship and friendship ties with the victims, looters were collected in carts and trailers, charred pipes, bicycles, radiators  and other 'valuable' things in order to pass them to the metal collection points and get money.'

Comments (3)

I sincerily hope that the same government that patronizes wars around the world, and proudly talks about the oil and gas fortunes inside the same country can REALLY HELP those forgotten people in Siberia. All my simpathy for them!
Gasparzinho Fantas, Porto-Portugal
22/04/2015 08:51
0
0
Ah now Jaker, you can't be projecting what politicians are like in your own country onto Russia. Can you even imagine Enda doing an 'annual chit-chat show' to begin with (in which he's given loads of random questions)? It's clear from Russia's transformation in the last 20 years, and its impeccable foreign policy, that the country is led by an honorable man.
Niall, Dublin
21/04/2015 15:45
1
0
Does he mean every house will be rebuilt or just the number required for him to have a good photo shoot among? And what price compensation is he talking about every individual household? For there's no use promising the world on his annual chit-chat show if he's only going to be offering peanuts come the time of the payments. If he can finds LOADS of money for weaponry at any time...then he should quite easily be able to find the required amount to get all the people involved in this terrible tragedy enough to rebuild their homes & more importantly their "Lives". I wish all those involved in this horrible hellish scenario a quick return to some semblance of normality & my deepest sympathies & prayers for their loss of life. May God carry them through the future sorrowful days & weeks, months, etc.?
Jaker, Dundalk
17/04/2015 21:25
1
1
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