In the Vitebsk region, 58 people died in fires in six months, 53 of them were drunk

July 6, Vitebsk. In the Vitebsk region for six months, 58 people died in fires, 53 of them were in a state of alcoholic intoxication . Sergey Meleshkin, head of the Vitebsk Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, said this at a briefing on the Day of the Fire Service, which is celebrated on July 25, BelTA has learned.

"Of the 58 people who died in the fires, 53 people were in a state of alcoholic intoxication," Sergei Meleshkin drew attention. "Of these, 23 people were unemployed and had another bad habit - smoking."

The head of the regional department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations noted that the Vitebsk region is characterized by a large number of settlements with a small number of inhabitants. “We understand that gasification in settlements where up to 9 people live should not be expected. And every year the electrical equipment used by our citizens, stove heating, becomes more and more dangerous. Preventive work helps to normalize the situation - conversations, propaganda, agitation. Thanks to this, today we have the same statistics for the six months compared to last year," he stressed, adding that the Ministry of Emergency Situations will continue to strengthen preventive work and look for new ways to influence people's subconscious.

Among the main causes of fires, the leading place is occupied by careless handling of fire. This year, there has been an increase in such cases by 4.4%. The number of fires due to violation of the rules for the installation, operation of electrical networks and electrical equipment decreased by 6.9%, due to violation of the use of furnaces and other heat generating devices - decreased by 10.5%.

"The situation with the fires and the citizens who died in them has returned to normal. We have a positive trend in preventing the death of people on the water - today there are minus 20 cases compared to the same period last year. All this is due to the coherence of work, starting vertically from the regional authorities, - understanding the importance saving the life of every citizen, and ending with work on the ground, where officials remind the population of safety rules, identify threats to life and urge citizens to protect their lives and prevent emergencies. to control the condition of forests, to prevent fires in them.We also try to reach out to citizens through our warning systems,including using FM radio,” said the head of the regional department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.