Death toll from northern California wildfire increases to 42
The death toll from the raging Camp Fire in the U.S. state of California has increased to 42, making it the deadliest in the state's history.
The death toll from the raging Camp Fire in the U.S. state of California has increased to 42, making it the deadliest in the state's history, local authorities said Monday, Xinhua reported.
An additional 13 bodies were discovered Monday in Northern California, said Butte County Sheriff Kory Honea. The dead were so badly burned that authorities brought in a mobile DNA lab and asked forensic anthropologists to help identify them.
Honea said more than 200 people remain missing in and around the town of Paradise.
Xinhua reporters found their way to Paradise was blocked 56 km away from the town. The air was full of dust. Fire trucks were driving through the roads to contain the fire.
A firefighter from Oregon told Xinhua his team was deployed to Paradise to assist firefight from last Friday, working around the clock.
On a small slop in Butt County, four firefighters were observing the development of fire on the mountain. They took shifts every 24 fours. A firefighter told Xinhua they would assist other colleagues on fire control if they got notice.
He said winds would be dying down Monday while humidity began to rise, which would help the firefighters.
The fire, which decimated the town, has burned 117,000 acres (47,348 hectares) and is now about 30 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The increased death toll of Camp Fire brought the statewide toll to 44.
The Chinese Consulate General in Los Angeles warned Chinese citizens to follow the latest development of the wildfire, and avoid heading for restricted areas, and enhance security awareness to ensure safety.
The Consulate General has launched an emergency response mechanism, and helped Chinese students in Pepperdine University, which is located in the fire-damaged town of Malibu, to evacuate to a safe place.
The Woolsey Fire and Hill Fire in Southern California also continued to destroy homes.
In Agoura Hills, a town in Los Angeles County, firefighters were checking from door to door any sign of flames, to make sure the fire won't reignite.
Tod Kaufman, a firefighter of Los Angeles County Fire Department, told Xinhua all of the residents were evacuated. They were sweeping houses and cars to figure out damage.
Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) crews are making assessments in areas determined safe by first responders, to search for gas leaks caused by the fire.
The Woolsey Fire, which has claimed two lives and burned more than 90,000 acres (36,421 hectares), was 30 percent contained by Monday evening.
The Hill Fire, which ignited around the same time on Thursday afternoon not far from the Woolsey Fire, was 85 percent contained by Monday, having already scorched 4,531 acres (1,834 hectares) and destroyed two structures.
Source: Kazinform News Agency
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8,821, including 3,885 children from flood-hit regions staying at temporary shelters, Kazakh Emergencies Ministry
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Kazakhstan continues rescue efforts, flood relief operations and mitigation of flood aftermath in flood-stricken and flood-prone regions, the Kazakh Emergencies Ministry’s official spokesperson Dinara Nurgaliyeva told a briefing.
Since the beginning of the floods 118,180 people, including 44,254 children, were rescued and evacuated. 113,852 farm animals were moved to safer places, she added.
Currently, 8,821 people, including 3,885 children, from flood-hit areas are staying at temporary shelters.
Water was pumped out of 4,370 homes and 2,737 household plots. Over 10.5 million cubic meters of meltwater were pumped away, and over 3.4 million sandbags and 1.4 million tons of inert material were laid.
5,989 homes and 1,091 household plots remain flooded in Akmola, Aktobe, Kostanay, Atyrau, North Kazakhstan.
44,137 people, 4,642 pieces of equipment, 858 motor pumps, 341 floating crafts, 18 aircraft, and volunteers are deployed in rescue and flood relief operations.
A local state of emergency was declared in 38 districts in Aktobe, Kostanay, West Kazakhstan, Akmola, Karaganda, Atyrau, North Kazakhstan, and Ulytau regions.
The Emergencies Ministry urges all to keep flood safety rules, not to leave homes and evacuation centers without permission and not to leave children alone.
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Second wave of floods hits N Kazakhstan region
Images | Ministry of Emergencies of Kazakhstan
Water level has increased on the Sergeyev Reservoir in the North Kazakhstan region. Flood situation in the region remains complicated, Deputy Governor of the region Kanat Duzelbayev said it at a briefing today, Kazinform News Agency reports.
He said water overflow on the Sergeyev Reservoir has decreased to 250 centimeters.
Due to the second wave of flooding, water level rose again with the overflow at 278 centimeters having increased by 21 centimeters," Kanat Duzelbayev said.
He emphasized the situation remains complicated in Kyzylzhar district and Petropavlovsk city.
A number of villages in Kyzylzhar district and micro-districts Podgora, Kozhevenny, Zarechny, Kossogor are still under water, with 2,886 residential buildings affected by the flood. A total of 14,388 people have been evacuated in the region, with 1,037 accommodated in temporary shelters. All of them are provided with meals and essential supplies. 149 families have already received lump-sum social payment. 470 tons of humanitarian aid were sent to the region from Astana, Almaty, East Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda, Zhambyl, Pavlodar, and Akmola regions, as well as from Russia’s Omsk," said Duzelbayev.
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8th-grader plunges from fourth floor window in Astana
An eighth-grader jumped out of a fourth-floor window in the school lyceum no.72 in the Kazakh capital of Astana, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports citing the health and education department of the city.
On April 17, an eighth-grader climbed out of a fourth-floor window in the school lyceum no.72. An ambulance was called immediately to the scene; the child is in the hospital, said the department.
The child sustained a brain concussion, thorax and abdominal injuries, right forearm and right tibia fractures. His condition is regarded as stable. The child is under medical supervision.
A criminal investigation into the accident has been launched.
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Over 12,000 people evacuated in N Kazakhstan due to massive floods
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Flood situation remains complicated in the North Kazakhstan region, according to Yevgeny Zhuravlyov, press secretary of the local emergencies department, Kazinform News Agency reports.
In his words, the Sergeyev Water Reservoir is full at 149%. Water overflow across the dam crest is 2 meters 61 centimeters. Water level has decreased by 9 centimeters in a day.
He said that water level on the Yessil River is raising, due to which settlements of Kyzylzhar district and some areas of Petropavlovsk city have been flooded.
2,401 residential buildings, 1,115 courtyards remain flooded. 12,235 people including 2,919 children were evacuated in the region. 1,890 people including 591 children have been evacuated in the past day. 26 adults and 8 children have returned their homes, while 12,191 people remain evacuated. 3,590 farm animals were taken to a safe area," he said.
The worst hit areas are Teplichnoye, Pribrezhnoye villages in Kyzylzhar district, where 565 residential buildings have been flooded, and 2,287 people have been evacuated.
In the past 24 hours, water has already reached Bolshaya Malyshka, Sokolovka, Vishnyovka, Olshanka villages, where 317 residential buildings have been flooded. 1,562 people including 299 children have been evacuated.
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Over 111,000 Kazakhstanis rescued from flooded areas in Kazakhstan
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Rescuers have evacuated 111,194 people including 39,222 children in Kazakhstan since the onset of flooding period, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Flood-relieve efforts involve 33,334 people and 4,066 vehicles as well as 835 water pumps, 275 boats and 11 aircraft.
9.5 million cubic meters of water were pumped out. 2.2 million sandbags and 1.2 million tons of inert materials were prepared.
5,400 houses, 1,607 household territories and 2,035 summer houses remain flooded in five regions. Water was pumped out from 3,503 houses and 2,157 households," Yerassyl Saipash, chief officer of the Civil Defense Committee of the Ministry of Emergencies, said a briefing today.
State of emergency of local scale was declared in settlements of Aktobe, Kostanay, West Kazakhstan, Akmola, Karaganda, Atyrau, North Kazakhstan and Ulytau districts.
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99,920 evacuated from flooded areas in Kazakhstan
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The Emergency Situations Ministry of Kazakhstan has issued the information on the flood situation in the country as of 5:00pm, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the Ministry, 99,920 people, including 36,593 children, were evacuated due to floods across the country.
10,015 people returned their homes.
As of 5:00pm, 6,566 people, including 3,194 kids, were accommodated in temporary shelters.
9 million 089 thousand cubic meters of meltwater were pumped away, 1.6 million sack tares or 1.2 million tons of inert material were laid.
Floodwater was diverted from 3,071 houses and 1,931 courtyards.
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Almost 100,000 rescued from flooded areas in Kazakhstan
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The number of flood-affected victims in Kazakhstan surpassed 97,000, including 32,000 children. 3679 adults and 3494 children were accommodated in temporary evacuation shelters as of today morning, Kazinform News Agency reports citing the press service of the Ministry of Emergencies.
The emergency services pumped out 8.8 million cubic meters of meltwater and laid more than 1.4 million sandbags and 1.1 million inert materials. Relief efforts involve more than 27,000 people, nearly 3,000 vehicles and 15 aircraft," said Yerassyl Saipash, chief officer of the Civil Defense Committee of the Ministry of Emergencies.
He reminded that state of emergency at the local scale was declared in Aktobe, Kostanay, West Kazakhstan, Akmola, Karaganda, Atyrau, North Kazakhstan, and Ulytau regions.
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Floods in Kazakhstan: over 82,000 farm animals moved to safer places
Images | primeminister.kz
96,472 people, including 31,640 children, were rescued since the outbreak of floods throughout Kazakhstan, Kazinform News Agency quotes senior officer of the civil defence and military units committee of the Kazakh Emergencies Ministry Yerassyl Saipash as saying.
2,823 people, including 865 kids, were airlifted from flood-hit regions. 7,605 people, including 3,474 children are staying at the temporary shelters. Over 82,500 farm animals were moved to safer places, he told a briefing.
167,935 kg of humanitarian aid was delivered to the flood-stricken regions.
Over 8.5 million tons of meltwater was pumped away, 1.3 million bags full of sand, and 1.1 million tons of internet materials were placed to reduce flood damage. Water was pumped out of 2,750 homes and 1,816 household plots.
24,295 people, 2,655 pieces of equipment, 469 motor pumps, 139 floating crafts, and 10 aircraft are deployed in flood relief operations.
As of now 3,444 homes, and 366 household plots in five regions, namely, Atyrau, Aktobe, Akmola, Kostanay and North Kazakhstan are still flooded.
8 bridges and roads were washed away by floodwaters across Kazakhstan.
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