Fires claimed the lives of 84 people in Russia on Saturday, setting a new tragic record of this year's autumn and winter season, the crisis situations center of the Russian Emergencies Ministry reported on Sunday.
"Yesterday, 605 fires, including 488 house fires were registered in Russia. During the work to clear the debris, the rescuers found the bodies of 84 people. Last Thursday, the figure was 47 and on Friday it stood at 54," the crisis situations center said.
The previous tragic record was set on December 4, when fires claimed the lives of 70 people.
Overall, 137 people suffered from fires on Saturday while 53 people were rescued, the crisis situations center said.
"Since early December, about 800 people have died in fires across Russia. Last month, fires claimed 1,066 lives while 1,893 people were rescued," the center said.
According to the Russian Emergencies Ministry's data, over 161,000 man-made fires occurred in Russia, killing 11,200 people.
MOSCOW, December 19 (RIA Novosti)
