Three children drowned in Chechnya from start of bathing season

The republic's Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) reports about nine persons drowned from the start of this year's bathing season in local water bodies. The count of victims of abnormal heat is also on the rise.

Last summer 13 persons, including 5 children drowned in local rivers and lakes.

"Nine persons, including three children, drowned from the start of bathing season. The same number was saved by the employees of the search-rescue unit of the MfE. Now, under the order of the Minister, MfE's rescuers are on duty in the main water bodies," said the Ministry's spokesman.

In the meantime, the Chechen Ministry of Public Health (MPH) reports that in the last two weeks only the number of emergency calls of ambulances and citizens' visits to medical institutions went up from the average 2000/day to 2500/day and more.

"The abnormal heat is a serious danger for cardiovascular and hypertension patients. In the first ten days of this heat some 430 persons suffered from heatstroke: unfortunately, not without casualties. Being hit by heatstroke, a woman lost her spatial orientation and was run over by a car", said the spokesperson of the MPH.

According to local observers, several persons became heatstroke victims in the course of the city subbotnik, and several dozens more addressed doctors with cardiovascular problems and sharp increase (or reduction) of their arterial pressure.

"We're already rather sick and tired of this endless subbotnik. They run the works in spite of the intolerable heat outdoors. Those who have cardiac and blood tension problems feel especially bad. They just can't cope with such overloads," Islam, a resident of the Nadterechny District of Chechnya and a participant of the subbotnik, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.