Devastating earthquakes will rock three seismically hazardous areas of Russia by 2010, in the Russian Far East, Siberia and North Caucasus, the emergencies ministry predicted Monday.
"Before 2010 devastating earthquakes are expected" to hit the Kuril islands and nearby Kamchatka Peninsula, the Lake Baikal region and the North Caucasus, the ministry said in a statement received by AFP.
There could also be major quakes in the Far Eastern island of Sakhalin, Eastern Siberia and the Altai region in the south of Siberia, the Russian emergency authorities added.
Seismic instability is expected throughout the coming year in Kamchatka (maximum measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale), in the Kuril islands (maximum measuring 8.0 on the Richter scale) and Sakhalin (maximum 7.1), they said.
In 2001, there is a direct threat of floods to more than 40 Russian cities and several thousand smaller population centers, according to ministry experts.
About 500,000 hectares (1.235 million acres) could be flooded. The annual flood damage in Russia is 3.2 billion dollars on average, the experts said.
Next year, floods could create "severe damage" in several regions, in Siberia and the south, far east, center and north of Russia, as well as the Leningrad region surrounding the second city Saint Petersburg, they warned.
There is a high risk of fires in 2001 in southern Siberia, the Far East, the region around Lake Baikal and some northwestern and central areas of Russia, according to the emergencies ministry -- MOSCOW (AFP)
© 2000 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
