NUR-SULTAN -- Kazakh President Qasym-Zhomart Toqaev has arrived in the northern region of Qostanai after it was hit by unprecedented wildfires in recent days.
The presidential press service said on September 5 that Toqaev will inspect firefighting operations in one of the districts affected by the devastating fires.
A day earlier, Qostanai authorities announced the state of emergency after almost 2,000 residents of four villages were evacuated as the wildfire reached them, destroying nearby forests and buildings.
The Emergency Situations Ministry said on September 4 that the fires had spread to 43,000 hectares, compared with just 9,000 hectares a day earlier.
The ministry also said that an elderly resident of the village of Amanqaraghai, who refused to leave, was found dead by firefighters. A total of 10 people suffered burns of different levels, and four of them were hospitalized.
According to the ministry, the wildfires were caused by extreme heat and winds in the region.