Emergency Situations and Protection of Population from Chornobyl Disaster Consequences Minister Volodymyr Shandra reported on stabilized situation in the area of the conflagrated ammunition depot near Lozova, Kharkiv region.
The presidential press service made this statement.
The minister assured President Viktor Yuschenko of this at their meeting.
"By the end of today we plan to resume railway traffic through the station of Lozova, which is still running the reserve route, and also reduce the evacuation zone to 3 from 5 kilometers around the military base," V. Shandra said.
He added that 9,167 local dwellers were evacuated from the five-kilometer zone.
The minister told the head of state that the operational headquarters, 380 rescuers, and 81 machines of the Emergency Ministry are working at the place of fire.
Besides, 289 soldiers and six fire armored vehicles of the Defense Ministry, as well as 68 medical officers and 1,300 Emergency Ministry officers are working in the emergency zone.
Minister Shandra assured the president that all the required forces and means were timely engaged in mitigation of the fire consequences.
As Ukrainian News reported before, President Yuschenko ordered the Defense Ministry and Emergency Situations and Protection of Population from Chornobyl Disaster Consequences Ministry to hourly report on the progress in extinguishing the fire at the ammunition depot in Lozova district, Kharkiv region.
On August 27, the ammunition depot near Lozova set on fire, which caused explosion of ammunition.
The town of Lozova is a district centre and a railway hub of Kharkiv region.
