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’Moscow smog may kill 100 people daily’

28 July 2010 19:59 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. As Moscow experiences its hottest weather in 130 year, officials say hundreds of people may lose their lives to the smog from peat fires, APA reports quoting presstv.ir website.

A heat wave which has engulfed central parts of the European Russia has triggered forest and peat fires across the country.

While Russian emergency workers are fighting 334 forest fires covering an area of 81,321 hectares, the peat smoke is still spreading over Moscow, making it the worst smog since 2002.

"The concentration of carbon monoxide and suspended particles in Moscow surged up to 10 times above the limit last night," said Alexei Popikov, chief specialist at Mosekomonitoring, a city government agency overseeing air pollution.

Popikov also urged the elderly and those suffering from heart disease to stay indoors.

Officials also asked employers to relieve their staff from their duties, recommending those who are forced to leave their homes to wear a mask while outside.

"There will be at least 100 additional deaths per day this time round," said Alexei Yablokov, an internationally renowned biologist who runs Russia’s Green Party.

"According to preliminary estimates, only in one district where fires are now most severe, over RUB 4.5 billion (USD 148.8 million) is needed. We have five such districts," said Moscow region Chief Boris Gromov in an emergency video conference.

He added that they have asked Prime Minister Vladimir Putin to allocate RUB 25 billion (USD 827 million) to fight the smoldering fires in Moscow.