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Disasters cost Russia $3.5 billion a year - minister

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MOSCOW, October 12 (RIA Novosti) - Natural and man-made disasters cost Russia an average of $3.5 billion annually, Emergency Situations Minister Sergei Shoigu said Wednesday.

Shoigu told the State Duma, Russia's lower house of parliament, that man-made disasters accounted for 75 % of all emergencies in Russia, whereas natural calamities made up 20%; combined natural/man-made disasters, 4%; and terrorist acts, less than 1%. Indirect losses caused by the various disasters total $17.5 billion annually.

Natural calamities take the heaviest toll on the population, accounting for as many as 80% of all disaster casualties; the proportion of those affected by technogenic disasters and terrorist attacks is 10% and 3%, respectively. The minister said man-made disasters, especially road accidents and fires, accounted for the highest number of fatalities. According to statistics cited by the minister, some 30,000 people are killed in road accidents every year; 19,000 die in fires; 25,000-30,000 die of poisoning from bootleg alcohol; and 15,000 drown.

According to Shoigu, the Emergencies Ministry has carried out 11,500 rescue operations so far this year, saving more than 50,000 lives. In the past five years, it has been involved in as many as 200,000 rescue and relief efforts.

Ministry personnel provide relief for an average of 1.5 million people every year, Shoigu said.

The increasing frequency of natural disasters, massive construction in disaster-prone areas, and neglect of safety rules contribute to the damage, he said. More than 2,500 of Russia's industrial sites are chemically hazardous and 1,500 are potential sources of radioactive contamination.

Shoigu said a nationwide emergencies management system was up and running in Russia and that a wide array of training programs were available for the public as well as professional rescuers.

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