Kazakhstan turns to high-value added manufacturing with building polyethylene plant it Atyrau region
Kazakhstan turns to high-value added manufacturing with building polyethylene plant it Atyrau regionJapan considers allowing limited access to Fukushima evacuation zone
Authorities were considering restricting access to the evacuation zone around Japan's crippled nuclear plant Wednesday to limit radiation exposure to residents who may want to return to their homes, Kazakhstan Today reports.
Almaty. April 20. Kazakhstan Today - Authorities were considering restricting access to the evacuation zone around Japan's crippled nuclear plant Wednesday to limit radiation exposure to residents who may want to return to their homes, Kazakhstan Today reports.
Japanese authorities are considering allowing restricted access to the evacuation zone around the Fukushima nuclear plant, The Telegraph reported.
"We are considering setting up 'caution areas' as an option for effectively limiting entry" to the zone, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said.
About 70,000-80,000 people were living in the 10 towns and villages within 12 miles of the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, which has been leaking radiation after a March 11 earthquake and tsunami wrecked its power and cooling systems.
Tokyo Electric Power Co., the nuclear plant's operator, has begun pumping highly radioactive water from the basement of one of its turbine buildings to a makeshift storage area in a crucial step toward enabling work on restoring the cooling systems.
Removal of the 25,000 metric tons (about 6.6 million gallons) of contaminated water that has collected just in the basement of the turbine building at Unit 2 of the plant is expected to take at least 20 days, nuclear safety officials say. Fully ridding the plant of 70,000 tons of contaminated water in its turbine buildings and nearby trenches could take months.
Still, a senior official at the UN nuclear agency suggested the worst of the radiation leaks may be over in the worst nuclear power accident since the 1986 catastrophe in Chernobyl.
The total amount of radiation released is expected to be only a "small increase from what it is today" if "things go as foreseen," said Dennis Flory, a deputy director general at the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna.
TEPCO has begun distributing applications for compensation to residents forced to evacuate from their homes around the plant. The company is offering about $12,000 (7,500 pounds) per household as interim compensation.
People elsewhere in the disaster zone who lost houses to the tsunami and quake - which also left more than 27,000 dead or missing - say help has been slow to materialise.
The government is still considering ways to limit access to the immediate vicinity of the nuclear plant while also responding to demands from residents, many of whom took practically nothing with them, to return to collect belongings, said Noriyuki Shikata, deputy chief Cabinet secretary for Prime Minister's office.
"We are considering ways for them to realise a short visit back to their homes," Mr Shikata said.
"Both the issue of ... strong enforcement of the area and a realisation of temporarily going back home is something we have to closely coordinate with local municipalities," he said, noting that for now there is no penalty for entering the area.
Photo: The Telegraph
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8,821, including 3,885 children from flood-hit regions staying at temporary shelters, Kazakh Emergencies Ministry
Images | Akorda
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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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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Risk of flooding remains in 219 settlements in N Kazakhstan
Images | primeminister.kz
The flood situation remains challenging in North Kazakhstan region, deputy governor Kanat Duzelbayev said during a briefing at the Central Communications Service, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
According to the regional authority, presently the Sergeevskiy dam is 182% full. There are no blockages on the floodplain of the Yessil River. The overflow at the dam stands at 425 centimeters.
The threat of flooding remains in three districts and the city of Petropavlovsk. The flood situation is under constant control. The region is still covered with snow by 30%. There is a threat of inundation in 219 settlements. 13 homes out of the 40 have been flooded. 286 people have been evacuated, 44 have returned home. 111 courtyards have been inundated, said Duzelbayev.
177 personnel, 27 vehicles, 10 vessels and 48 motor pumps of the emergency situations ministry were sent to the region from Turkestan, Karaganda and Pavlodar regions. An additional 313 personnel of the defense ministry arrived in the region.
59 overflows have been reported on roads of the region… Works are ongoing to pump away melt water. 181km of irrigation ditches have been cleaned, 105.7km of canals expanded and deepened, 80 thousand sand tars prepared and 41 thousand sack tares laid, said the deputy governor of North Kazakhstan region.
1,874 personnel, 1,154 volunteers, 286 vehicles, 146 motor pumps and 20 vessels are engaged in the flood control activities in the region. Life-support facilities run as usual in the region.
Work is ongoing to reinforce the protective embarkment around the city of Petropavlovsk and the settlements of Kyzylzhar district.
Earlier it was reported that decline in the level of water was observed on the hydroposts in North Kazakhstan region.
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