Some 20,000 people remain without power supplies in Moscow Reg

"Some 140 settlements with 21,205 residents remain without electric power supplies in the Moscow Region, the Ministry of Emergency Situations reported on Wednesday evening. Their number is much lower than 400,000 residents, who remained without heating and electric power supplies on the first day of an emergency situation, but their number is too high, since people left without electric power supplies had to spend four days in frozen flats, some local executives failed to provide water and food supplies and heated premises.

Meanwhile, power utilities and authorities gave optimistic forecasts all these days, but they were proved untrue again and again. They promised to restore electric power supplies on Tuesday, Wednesday and finally on Thursday, but in the last case with a remark, "If the weather does not cause more difficulties."

The weather caused new difficulties, as the cyclone went from the Black Sea in the Moscow Region. "High winds and snowfalls hamper power utility workers to remove trees and branches and repair the electric power lines," the press service of the Moscow United Electric Power Grid Company reported. A total of 233 electric power transformer substations were reconnected by 6 p.m. Moscow time on Wednesday, but 3,171 substations remain disconnected.

At a government presidium meeting on Wednesday Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin banned ministers and governors to go on vacations, because they should restore electric power supplies in several regions. The premier demanded to present daily reports to him on the cleanup of the aftermath of the emergency situation; Kazinform cites Itar-Tass.

See www.itar-tass.com for full version.