THE STATE OF EMERGENCY ON SAKHALIN








YUZHNO-SAKHALINSK, March 6, RIA Novosti correspondent Anatoly Ilyukhov - The consequences of the heavy snow cyclone that swept the Sakhalin and Kuril islands (the Pacific  Ocean) have forced the local authorities to declare a state of emergency in some districts of the area, reported the Far Eastern Regional Centre of the Emergencies Ministry. 


	According to the data of weather forecasters, a two-month norm of snow has fallen on the islands on Saturday, Sunday and Monday. In some townships snow-drifts have reached the roofs of one-story houses. 


	Hundreds of cars have found themselves trapped in snow - there are victims. Some people died in their cars of  supercooling, others of carbon monoxide. The exact number of the victims is not yet known, because many cars are still buried  under snow. 


	Wet snow on the wires caused malfunctions in the electricity supply and communication lines. As a result, many towns and  villages are now in the dark at nights, water stations have  stopped functioning, the local boiler-rooms have coal resources for only several days. 


	The snow cyclone has completely paralysed the transport  communication on the Sakhalin Island. The airport in  Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk has not been functioning for the third day now, the traffic has stopped on motor ways, and the Vanino-Kholmsk sea ferrying, which connects Sakhalin with the mainland, has stopped functioning either. 


	The administration of the region and the regional  headquarters of the Emergencies Ministry are taking urgent measures to liquidate the consequences of the snow cyclone.