Errors during evacuation and panic: the Ministry of Emergency Situations called the main causes of tragedies in fires

The main goal of a single day of security is to prepare the population for the right actions in case of fire and other emergency situations in places with mass stay of people. This was discussed on September 18 at a press conference in the media center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. The event was attended by representatives of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Belarusian Red Cross Society, sb.by reports.

Still fresh in the memory of the deadly fire in the shopping center "Winter Cherry" in the Russian Kemerovo. It was this tragic event that launched the regular holding of a single security day in Belarus, which this year will be held throughout the country on September 24.

Fires at objects with a mass stay happened in our country. Only for 8 months of this year, 34 such incidents were registered.

- The vast majority of fires - 80 percent - occurred due to the emergency operation of power grids and electrical equipment. In more than half of the cases, they occurred in shopping facilities. These incidents did not entail serious tragic consequences, said Denis Zhukovsky, Deputy Head of the Department for Supervision and Prevention of the Main Department of Supervision and Prevention of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

As an example, he cited a fire that occurred in 2024 in the shopping center “Belarus” in Vitebsk. The area of fire then exceeded 2 thousand square meters. Employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations rescued ten, a total of 215 people, including 40 children, were evacuated from the building. Thanks to the coordinated actions of the emergency services, no one died.

Denis Zhukovsky voiced the top 3 factors that become the main causes of tragedies in fires. These are errors during evacuation, panic and non-compliance of buildings with fire safety requirements.

- The main purpose of a single security day is to prepare the population for the right actions in case of fire and other emergency situations in shopping centers, concert halls, stadiums and other places with a mass stay of visitors. The emphasis will be placed on practicing practical skills, Denis Zhukovsky announced.

What should I do? Each head of the organization on September 24 should organize theoretical and practical training of employees in the correct actions in the event of a fire. At some facilities, for example in schools, training events will be held with the participation of employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and with the involvement of fire rescue equipment. In all regions of the country, 139 information platforms have been deployed in places of mass congestion.

At the end of his speech, Denis Zhukovsky outlined the basic principles of safe evacuation. He noted that successful evacuation is crucial in the event of an emergency:

- Hearing the sound of the warning system or noticing the first signs of fire - smoke and fire, wasting no time, leave the building. There are false alarms, but do not underestimate the situation. In case of a real fire after evacuation, you can not return to the building for forgotten documents, bags, jackets. You can return only after the permission of the rescuers.