Water and soil are clean around Baikonur: expert

Sanitary-epidemiological situation in Kyzylorda oblast in southern Kazakhstan is stable, Tengrinews.kz reports citing deputy chairman of the state sanitary-epidemiological control commission of Kazakhstan Healthcare Ministry Aizhan Yesmagambetova. Speaking about sanitary-epidemiological situation in Kyzylorda oblast at the meeting of the government commission on evaluation of the ecological consequences of the accident at Baikonur, she said that air samples were taken in Akai, Zhossaly and Toretam villages and in the town of Baikonur and tested for contamination with heptyl. No excessive concentrations were found. “Measurements of gamma-radiation were made at the territory of the said villages, no excess level was registered either. Soil and water were also tested. All the samples complied with the sanitary-epidemiological norms,” she said. Central regional hospitals of Kazalinsk and Karmakshy regions were prepared for emergency medical treatment of local population. 28 sanitary vehicles were put on high alert. All medical organizations were provided with the sufficient amount of medicines. Yesmagambetova explained that additional work was done to locate distant pastures in the area. Medical personnel checked small farms at distant pastures located 30-40km from the crash site. “There were no complaints in relation to acute or chronic poisoning with heptyl combustion products from the local population. The sanitary-epidemiological situation is stable; people’s health and environment are being monitored,” she said. Russia’s Proton-M carrier rocket [equipped with a DM-3 booster] carrying three Glonass-M navigation satellites crashed right after the lift-off at Kazakhstan-based Baikonur cosmodrome on July 2. By Renat Tashkinbayev