RUSSIA: Siberian town of Tomsk is enveloped in thick smog which forced the local airport to close as forest fires spread across vast areas.

Record ID: 862317

  • Title: RUSSIA: Siberian town of Tomsk is enveloped in thick smog which forced the local airport to close as forest fires spread across vast areas.
  • Date: 27th July 2012
  • Summary: TOMSK, RUSSIA (JULY 26, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) TRAFFIC IN SMOG HOUSE IN THICK SMOG TRAFFIC IN SMOG SUN DISK VISIBLE THROUGH SMOG PANORAMA OF CITY ENVELOPED IN SMOG CHURCH IN SMOG VARIOUS OF BUILDINGS IN SMOG BRIDGE ACROSS RIVER IN SMOG VARIOUS OF VIEWS ACROSS RIVER IN SMOG TOMSK REGION, RUSSIA (JULY 25, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF FIRE RAGING IN FOREST TOMSK, RUSSIA (JULY 26, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF EMERGENCY OFFICERS LINING UP FOR TASK ASSIGNMENTS TWO EMERGENCY OFFICERS WITH KITS WALKING EMERGENCY OFFICER CLOSING FIRE ENGINE'S HATCH EMERGENCY OFFICERS NEAR FIRE ENGINES (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) FIRST DEPUTY HEAD OF TOMSK REGIONAL BRANCH OF RUSSIAN EMERGENCIES MINISTRY, SERGEI KOZLOV, SAYING: "Our forecast is that the worsening of the situation is very probable. Therefore, to protect the towns, to prevent the fire spreading to towns, we are reinforcing our response groups." VARIOUS OF FIRE ENGINES LEAVING TOMSK REGION, RUSSIA (JULY 25, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) WATER BEING DUMPED ON FOREST FROM HELICOPTER HELICOPTER IN AIR AERIAL VIEW OF FOREST WITH BURNT PATCHES VISIBLE VARIOUS OF TREES FALLING TREE ON FIRE SMOKE IN FOREST TOMSK, RUSSIA (JULY 25, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF AIRPORT VARIOUS OF PLANE ON TARMAC BEHIND METAL FENCE PASSENGERS WITH LUGGAGE OUTSIDE AIRPORT TERMINAL VARIOUS OF ELECTRONIC BOARD SHOWING DELAYED FLIGHTS VARIOUS OF PEOPLE AT DEPARTURES AREA
  • Embargoed: 11th August 2012 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Russian Federation
  • City:
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Disasters
  • Reuters ID: LVA9LA9Y5XGA5O66P4HEDUD8XOYW
  • Aspect Ratio:
  • Story Text: Forest fires continued to rage in Siberia, with regional centre Tomsk being the worst affected.
    Tomsk is enveloped in thick smog which led to the closure of the local airport and dozens of flight delays and cancellations.
    Forest fires already destroyed 15,000 hectares of Siberian forest, the Russian Emergency Ministry said on Friday (July 27).
    Firefighters still tried to put out more than 30 wild fires on Friday, employing helicopters to dump water onto burning patches of forest.
    Fires threaten to spread even more because of abnormal heat and strong winds.

    "Our forecast is that the worsening of the situation is very probable. Therefore, to protect the towns, to prevent the fire spreading to towns, we are reinforcing our response groups," said Sergei Kozlov, first deputy head of the Tomsk regional branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
    In some areas of Russian Siberia this summer is considered the hottest in 170 years of observations.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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