Minister complained to MPs that Kazakhstan lacks enoungh firefighting depots

Kazakhstan Minister of Emergency Situations complained to MPs that Kazakhstan lacks enoungh firefighting depots, Tengrinews.kz reports citing the Minister as saying this at the government meeting in the Majilis (lower chamber of the parliament). “Currently fire-fighting services protect only 271 cities and towns, while 26 major towns are not covered and 87 towns with a population of over 5 thousand people have no fire-fighting depots at all. 90 percent of the villages in Kazakhstan are 50 to 400 km outside of the service areas of fire-fighting depots,” Vladimir Bozhko said and pointed out that 80 percent out of the existing 408 fire-fighting depots had been built in 1950s and 1970s. The Minister said that the problem would be resolved after construction of 172 new fire stations. “Majority of them are required in Astana and Almaty cities, South-Kazakhstan Oblast, Karaganda Oblast and Almaty Oblast that cover 28 percent of the total area of the country,” Vladimir Bozhko said. The Minister also talked about lack of sufficient number of the fire-fighting vehicles and fire-fighters, as well as the deficiency of water-rescue stations. “We need to build 41 water-rescue stations. Only 3 cases out of last-year’s 1,600 water deaths happened in the area of responsibility of the existing water-rescue stations,” he said.