Moscow, Aug 6 (IANS/RIA Novosti) At least 52 people have died in wildfires raging throughout Russia, the government said Friday.
‘A total of 471 people turned for medical help and 72 were hospitalised, 43 fire victims are currently in hospitals and 52 have died,’ the health and social development ministry said.
NASA satellites Terra and Aqua Thursday registered 535 hotspots from wildfires which are raging in 22 Russian regions.
More than 150,000 personnel are working to fight the fires, which have been sparked by a prolonged drought and weeks of abnormally high temperatures.
Moscow and a dozen other cities have been wrapped in a thick layer of smog. Health experts say pollution levels are so high that breathing has become as dangerous as smoking several packs of cigarettes a day.
