Vitebsk Regional Department of Emergency Management on the situation in the region: the number of fires and deaths has decreased

July 22, Vitebsk . Over the past six months, the number of fires and deaths in the Vitebsk region has decreased, including the death of children in water bodies, the head of the Vitebsk Regional Emergency Situations Department, Sergei Meleshkin, said at a press conference on the eve of Fire Service Day, BELTA correspondent reports.

During January - June, 449 fires were registered in the Vitebsk region, which is 11.6% less than the same period in 2023, when 508 such cases occurred. Fire deaths decreased by 27.1% (35 people this year versus 48 in 2023).

“The main cause of death in fires remains the abuse of alcoholic beverages. Of the 35 people killed in fires in the region in the first half of the year, 26 were in a conditionalcohol intoxication . Rescuers carry out constant preventive work, including with children. This year there were no deaths of children in water bodies. We will continue this work, as the holidays continue, schoolchildren tend to spend time near the water on hot days, so the Ministry of Emergency Situations workers keep the situation under constant control,” emphasized Sergei Meleshkin.

He added that rescuers are using new forms of preventive work with children. In addition, already traditional trips to every health and school camp, on the eve of the holidays, all prevention subjects conducted a regional safety lesson. About 14 thousand children attended it online

. As for the deaths of people in the region’s reservoirs, 29 people drowned in the Vitebsk region over the past six months. 11 people were saved, including 6 children. Most often, people become victims of water due to carelessness - due to non-compliance with safety rules when swimming, as well as due to ignoring the warnings of rescuers "The SMS notification system works without failures, but not all of them. citizens listen to our recommendations. Thus, in winter, a case was recorded when a fisherman, contrary to warnings, went out onto thin ice, fell into the water and drowned,” said Sergei Meleshkin.

The head of the EMERCOM reminded that in the Vitebsk region 65 places of mass recreation near the water and beaches have been identified for the summer period. including, from June 1, three new beaches were opened - on Lake Velye in Novopolotsk, Lake Gorodno in the Vitebsk region, Lake Lyukhovo in the Polotsk region Information about places allowed for swimming is posted on the website of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, city and regional executive committees, where they are indicated. names of lakes and their coordinates.