Russia to send additional aid cargoes to Serbia

MOSCOW, May 19 (Itar-Tass) - The Russian Ministry of Emergencies planned to provide additional humanitarian aid for flood-hit Serbia, Minister Vladimir Puchkov said on Monday. "I ask to plan additional humanitarian aid. One more plane with food and medicines will be sent," he told a telephone conference. The minister asked Serbian authorities to inform what was needed. Two Ka-32 helicopters from Russia will arrive in Serbia on Monday and will immediately start working. The minister ordered to organize deliveries of food products provided by Russia to remote residential sites. The ministry's chief military expert Eduard Chizhikov who heads the Russian operational group in Serbia reported to the minister that Russian rescuers in the past three days carried out 400 flights to flooded areas and evacuated more than 2,200 people, including 604 children. Late on May 16, during an operation, two crews in boats rescued Serb crewmembers and passengers when their boat capsized in a whirlpool. About 20 people were rescued. When Russian specialists arrived in Obrenovac, most of the city was under the water. In some areas, the water reached the level of roofs. The floods completely blocked roads, and people could be evacuated only by boats and helicopters. Immediately after arriving, Russian rescuers began to evacuate people. Serb teams already were working there. The operation was complicated by continuing heavy rains and strong torrents, Chizhikov said. Seventy six rescuers from Russia's special Tsentrospas and Leader centres are working in the area of Obrenovac in Serbia. Two planes of the Russian Emergencies Ministry have delivered more than 70 tonnes of humanitarian aid cargoes to Serbia. Learn more on itar-tass.com