Moscow heat, smoke double death rate

[OhioChick]

Source: AP

Monday, August 9, 2010 | 9:10 AM ET


Deaths in Moscow have doubled and are now averaging 700 people a day amid a sweltering heat wave and poisonous smog from wildfires, a top Russian health official said on Monday.

Moscow health chief Andrei Seltsovky blamed weeks of unprecedented heat and suffocating smog for the rise in mortality compared with the same time last year, Russian news agencies reported.

He said city mortuaries are close to their capacity, with 1,300 bodies.

Acrid smog blanketed Moscow for a sixth straight day on Monday, with concentrations of carbon monoxide and other poisonous substances two or three times higher than what is considered safe.

Those airborne pollutants reached a record over the weekend — exceeding the safe limit by nearly seven times.

"The best way is to leave Moscow, to a dacha or elsewhere, the farther the better," one Muscovite, Viktor Kanygin said.

About 550 separate blazes were burning nationwide on Monday, mainly across western Russia, including about 40 around Moscow, according to the Emergencies Ministry.


Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2010/08/09/russian-smog-deathrate.html

[Uncle Joe]

1. I believe the other night they reported that 2000 Russians had drowned this summer due to

heavy drinking while trying to stay cool in the water.

That seems like such an incredibly large number of people to drown, even if they do drink and I'm wondering if there is something more to it?

Thanks for the thread, OhioChick.

[Yeahyeah]

2. Guy says this is part of the softening up process before U.S./Israel attack on Iran.

Says U.S. using weather war technology to weaken Iran ally Russia.Sorry,no link to what guy said.

[cosmicone]

3. Is Russia begging for $5 billion in economic aid? n/t

[OhioChick]

4. Don't know....Google is your friend. n/t

[cosmicone]

6. An excellent suggestion. Thank you. n/t

[valerief]

5. "Those airborne pollutants reached a record over the weekend — exceeding the safe limit by nearly

seven times."

Wonder if that made a difference in the death rate.

[Raschel]

7. How far will this smoke travel? What a bad situation.

[Turborama]

8. Shocking, I didn't know so many people were dying because of the heat & smog

We are witnessing the effects of global warming that have been predicted. The future is now.

Thanks for posting.

:kick: & R

[moksha]

9. What a tragedy.