Emergencies Ministry: Number of fire fatalities in Belarus increased by 11.6% in first six months of this year

Photo by the Ministry of Emergency Situations July 24, MINSK . Over the first six months of this year, the number of people killed in fires in Belarus has increased by 11.6%. Such figures were announced during the summing up of the work of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for the first half of 2024 , BELTA reports.

As the Ministry of Emergency Situations emphasized, 288 people have died in fires since the beginning of the year, including six children . Four children died in the Brest region, and two more in the Mogilev region. Compared with the same period last year, the total number of people killed in fires has increased by 11.6%. The most difficult situation with deaths in the first half of the year was in the Mstislav, Bragin, Tolochin, Korelichi, Uzda, Cherven, Kormyansky, Vileika, Slutsk and Mogilev districts.

"A study of the conditions and circumstances of the tragedies allows us to draw a general conclusion that the death of people from fires, in most cases, is due to the same circumstances as from other external causes. As a rule, the deceased did not work anywhere, led an asocial lifestyle, and abused ALCOHOL. In the first half of 2024, 185 people who died from fires were in a state ofalcohol intoxication , which is 64.2% of their total number. In total, 283 fires occurred due to the fault of persons in a state of alcohol intoxication. Of these, 112 resulted in deaths," the rescue agency noted.

The main cause of death in fires is careless handling of fire. For this reason, 211 people died, or 73.3% of the total number of fatalities. At the same time, this figure increased by 8.8% compared to the first half of 2023. 17 people died due to violations of the rules for the installation and operation of electrical networks and electrical equipment. Due to violations of the rules for the installation and operation of furnaces, heat-generating devices and devices, 13 people died.

The rescue agency separately noted that 187 (64.9% of the total) people died in fires caused by an unextinguished cigarette. Of these, 142 people were intoxicated.

Rescuers noted that the ministry systematically takes measures to prevent fires and deaths from them. For example, for preventive purposes, employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations directly visit citizens at their place of residence. Since the beginning of the year, employees of the rescue agency have already 497 thousand households of single and single elderly citizens, disabled people and large families were visited. In 4.2 thousand households, stove heating was brought into compliance with fire safety requirements. 31.2 thousand autonomous fire alarms (AFAs) were installed. In the first half of 2024, thanks to the AFAs, 57 people were saved, including 15 children.