Forum Views ()
Forum Replies ()
Read more with google mobile :
US aid arrives as Russia says no nuclear risk from fires
Yahoo!
My Yahoo!
Mail
More Yahoo! Services
Account Options
New User? Sign Up
Sign In
Help
Yahoo! Search
web search
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Africa
Europe
Latin America
Middle East
North America
US aid arrives as Russia says no nuclear risk from fires
AFP - Sunday, August 15
Send
IM Story
Print
MOSCOW (AFP) - – The first planeloads of US aid for the Russian wildfire tragedy arrived in Moscow on Saturday as officials said a fire raging close to a top nuclear facility did not risk causing an atomic catastrophe.
Officials said that nationwide the area alight with fires was almost a quarter that of a week ago, although there appeared to be little progress in reducing the size of the blaze close to Russia's main nuclear research centre in Sarov.
Two US Air Force C-130 planes carrying aid for Russia touched down early Saturday at a Moscow airport, followed by a charter flight from California ordered by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, state television and the foreign ministry said.
Two additional C-130 flights were expected in the "next days", the Russian foreign ministry said. Another charter was also due in the coming week.
"We will always remember this gesture, this arm that was extended to us at a very difficult time," the deputy head of the international department of the Russian emergencies ministry, Valery Shuikov, said at the Vnukovo airport.
According to the US State Department, the total value of the support from Russia's Cold War-era ex-foe is around 4.5 million dollars.
The emergencies ministry said there were still 480 fires in Russia covering an area of 56,000 hectares (138,500 acres), a quarter of the area of almost 200,000 hectares (495,000 acres) reported at the peak of the crisis and down around 10,000 hectares (25,000 acres) from Friday.
"At the current moment the situation with the wildfires has improved considerably," said Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu in a statement on the ministry's website.
"The weather has not helped us. Everything has been done by the emergency services, the interior ministry, the defence ministry and volunteers."
Along with Sarov, fires have also raged close to another research centre in the town of Snezhensk and the Mayak nuclear reprocessing site, both in the Urals, but the authorities appear to have controlled those fires.
"There are no threats from the forest fires to potentially dangerous sites. Potentially dangerous sites are reliably protected," said Shoigu.
The head of Russia's Rosatom nuclear agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, told reporters that the fire that has been menacing the Sarov centre, 500 kilometres (310 miles) east of Moscow, for the past two weeks does not risk causing a nuclear disaster.
"We can say today for sure that there is no nuclear risk, no radioactive threat and that there is not even an ecological threat on Sarov territory," Kiriyenko told Russian media.
"We pushed back an attack from the west side two weeks ago. Now the fire is coming from the east... and it continues to burn. Nevertheless, the situation on the eastern side has ceased to be critical," he said.
Kiriyenko said radioactive and explosive materials had been removed a second time from the Sarov centre because of the threat of the flames, which approached the perimetre of the installation on Friday before being brought turned back.
The Mordovia region emergencies ministry said the fire in a neighbouring nature reserve that threatens Sarov, a town still closed to foreigners as in Soviet times, covers 1,000 hectares (2,500 acres) and is still not under control.
Thousands of firefighters have been sent to the reserve to put out the flames.
Kiriyenko said that if the winds shift the Sarov centre could come under threat once again from the fires in the nature reserve.
"Until (the fires are) put out there, Sarov remains at risk," he said.
The fires have been sparked by the worst heatwave in Russia's history, which destroyed one-quarter of its crops and last week blanketed Moscow in a toxic smog that has raised major concern for public health. Related article: Russia loses quarter of crops in drought
There have also been fears the fires could stir up particles on land in western Russia still contaminated by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster but officials have said radiation is normal throughout the country.
Recommend
Send
IM Story
Print
Related Articles
Police abducted in Darfur identified as Jordanians AFP - 42 minutes ago
Russian grain export ban comes into force AFP - 1 hour 17 minutes ago
UK-World Summary Reuters - 1 hour 31 minutes ago
Germany revving up but Merkel continues to sputter AFP - Sunday, August 15
US 'intensifies strikes' at Al-Qaeda targets AFP - Sunday, August 15
News Search
Top Stories
Russian grain export ban comes into force
Germany revving up but Merkel continues to sputter
Summer breather in Greece ahead of austerity push
Wall Street ends week with sharp drops and gloom
Australia corals to light up cancer cure fight
More Top Stories »
ADVERTISEMENT
Most Popular
Most Viewed
Most Recommended
Belgian man dies of South Asian superbug
Obama endorses mosque plan near Ground Zero
Wall Street ends week with sharp drops and gloom
Australia corals to light up cancer cure fight
Germany drives record Europe recovery, but experts fear peak
More Most Viewed »
Obama endorses mosque plan near Ground Zero
Argentine students crack three-decade-old murder mystery
40 US billionaires pledge half wealth to charity
Visitors attack Taiwan 'haunted house' actors
World's first full face transplant man appears on TV
More Most Recommended »
Elsewhere on Yahoo!
Financial news on Yahoo! Finance
Stars and latest movies
Best travel destinations
More on Yahoo! News
Home
Singapore
Asia Pacific
World
Business
Entertainment
Sports
Technology
Subscribe to our news feeds
Top StoriesMy Yahoo!RSS
» More news feeds | What are news feeds?
Also on Yahoo!
Answers
Groups
Mail
Messenger
Mobile
Travel
Finance
Movies
Sports
Games
» All Yahoo! Services
Site Highlights
Singapore
Full Coverage
Most Popular
Asia Entertainment
Photos
World Cup 2010
Copyright © 2010 Yahoo! Southeast Asia Pte. Ltd. (Co. Reg. No. 199700735D). All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Service |
Privacy Policy |
Community |
Intellectual Property Rights Policy |
Help
Other News on Sunday, 15 August 2010 Lebanese army kills top Islamist after three-year hunt
Lebanese forces shoot dead suspected militant leader
Lebanese forces shoot dead suspected militant leader
|
Wall Street ends week with sharp drops and gloom
Australia corals to light up cancer cure fight
Obama, Hillary Congratulate Indians On 63rd Independence Day
U.S. missile strike kills 12 militants in Pakistan
|
University Of Idaho Hires Private Guards To Bolster Campus Security
Fire Engulfs Detroit Retail Building; Six Firefighters Injured
Armed men kidnap two Darfur peacekeepers
|
Afghan, NATO troops pursue Haqqani fighters
Suspected Qaeda gunmen kill Yemen security officer
|
Aussie Slingsby arrows in on dethroning world champ
Karzai asks Obama for review of Afghanistan war
Julia Roberts to receive award at San Sebastian film fest
U.S. missile strike kills 12 militants in Pakistan
US 'concerned' over results of Rwanda vote
Two killed in latest Indian Kashmir clashes
Zsa Zsa Gabor hospitalized after surgery
Japan's Tamada gives Nagoya J-League lead
S.Korean 'breaks home run world baseball record'
Julia Roberts to receive award at San Sebastian film fest
Youth Olympics officially opened
800.000 join Zurich techno Street Parade: organisers
Dutch teen arrives in Portugal ahead of solo sailing bid
Spain extradites alleged 'Pink Panther' thief to Japan
Egypt's Islamic art museum reopens after restoration
Shackleton's vintage whisky exposes secret tippler
Armed men kidnap two Darfur peacekeepers
Experts not consulted over Lockerbie bomber's release
US-TECH Summary
China marks day of mourning for landslide victims
|
US aid arrives as Russia says no nuclear risk from fires
Russian grain export ban comes into force
Venezuela probes opposition paper over morgue photo
|
French lawmaker denounces Roma raids as disgraceful
Germany revving up but Merkel continues to sputter
China paper warns military thinking outmoded
|
South Korea president calls for reunification tax
|
Summer breather in Greece ahead of austerity push
Tight Australian election race enters final week
|
US 'intensifies strikes' at Al-Qaeda targets
Global Weather-Celsius
Hollywood diplomacy in France shows up Sarkozy
Man Killed In Boston Bar Fight; Suspect Charged With Manslaughter
Better, More Effective Contraceptive Pill To Hit US Market Soon
India PM pushes Pakistan to crack down on militants
Mugabe goes shopping in Hong Kong
China paper warns military thinking outmoded
N.Korea uses Twitter for propaganda offensive
Hollywood diplomacy in France shows up Sarkozy
Japanese officials avoid war shrine on anniversary
Apple manager charged with taking kickbacks
|
US-ENTERTAINMENT Summary
China observes day of mourning for mudslide victims
Li Hongqi's 'Winter Vacation' tops Locarno film fest
Siberian tiger mauls keeper in China
Volkswagen inks deal with Malaysia's DRB-HICOM
Sri Lankan exporters brace for loss of EU tax breaks
S.Korea vows not to tolerate N.Korea provocation
India outsourcers angered by US job visa hike
UN chief urges world to speed up Pakistan aid
Japan's PM to watch closely strength of yen: Jiji
India PM urges Pakistan to crack down on militancy
Jazz singer Abbey Lincoln dies
|
Fires still threaten Russian nuclear site
Baghdad attacks kill 18
U.N. chief urges faster foreign aid for Pakistan
|
Four killed in Baghdad attacks: security officials
Thousands evacuated in Lourdes hoax bomb scare
UN Chief Calls For Credible Elections In Myanmar
Afghanistan: NATO strike kills 2 fleeing militants
Foreign troops deaths in Afghanistan pass 2,000
|
Eight killed, 12 injured in California desert race
Fire near Russian nuclear site as smog returns
Bear Cub Survived 10 Days With Head Stuck In Jar
Top US Official Backs Pak Army Chief, General Pervez Kayani
Afghanistan says finds 1.8 billion barrel oilfield
|
Man Killed In Boston Bar Fight; Suspect Charged With Manslaughter
Fire Evacuates Two Hotels Near The White House
Qaeda No. 2 urges Turkish break with Israel: website
|
South Africa's opposition parties merge to challenge ANC
|
Israel's Barak approves U.S. F-35 fighters purchase
|
Argentine leader more popular than husband: poll
|
Orthodox flock to once-banned holy site in Turkey
|
Ellis try double keeps Tigers on top-four target
Apple manager charged with taking kickbacks
|
Relatives re-trace Titanic route to mark 100 years
S.Korean Christians demand Japan's action
Jazz singer Abbey Lincoln dies at 80
U.N. chief urges faster foreign aid for Pakistan
Fear and voting in Sydney's sprawling west
Warnings exchanged ahead of S. Korea war games
Japan claims first gold of inaugural Youth Games
African air travel nightmare blocks trade, tourism
Pacific villagers await their god: Britain's Prince Philip
Philanthropy thriving in newly rich Singapore
Poverty in Taiwan at record high: report
No evidence milk powder caused infant breasts: China
Hundreds protest in Jakarta, urge religious freedom
Matthew beats Ashour for Australian title
Saudi sitcom row tests tolerance toward Christians
|
Greece at new risk of being pushed off euro
Bodies of missing Tenn. mom, Jo Ann Bain, and daughter found
Female Breasts Are Bigger Than Ever
AMD Trinity Accelerated Processing Units Now in Volume Production
The Avengers (2012 film), made the second biggest opening- and single-day gross of all-time
AMD to Start Production of piledriver
Ivy Bridge Quad-Core, Four-Thread Desktop CPUs
Islamists Protest Lady Gaga's Concert in Indonesia
Japan Successfully Broadcasts an 8K Signal Over the Air
ECB boosts loans to 1 trillion Euro to stop credit crunch
Egypt : Mohammed Morsi won with 52 percent
What do you call 100,000 Frenchmen with their hands up
AMD Launches AMD Embedded R-Series APU Platform
Fed Should not Ignore Emerging Market Crisis
Fed casts shadow over India, emerging markets
Why are Chinese tourists so rude? A few insights