BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

12/11/2007

Snowfall cuts power supply in over 1,000 settlements in Belarus

MINSK, November 12 (Itar-Tass) -- A heavy snowfall cut the power supply in over 1,000 settlements in Belarus. The sleet catching on the wire damaged 260 kilometers of power lines, a source in the Belarussian Emergency Situations Ministry told Itar-Tass on Monday. The hardest hit were the Gomel and Mogilev regions, the Vitebsk and Minsk regions were also affected.

About 850 people, more than 250 pieces of machinery are involved in the elimination of the natural disaster aftermath. About 325 settlements, mainly small villages, remain without the power supply at 10.00 local time (11.00 Moscow time) on Monday. Meanwhile, all life-supporting facilities are operating in the regular regime, the source said.

A very difficult situation emerged on the Belarussian highways. Last weekend 38 people died in road accidents. The Belarussian road police are put on alert.

According to weather forecasts, heavy snowfalls are expected on the greater part of the republic in the next two days. A storm warning was announced on November 11-13.

Source:

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=12060603&PageNum=0