English

Lukashenka shrugs off flood fears

 

Alyaksandr Lukashenka on Friday played down fears of flooding as melt water from massive amounts of snow and ice this spring swells rivers across Belarus.

"I should tell you: don't be worried about flooding," the Belarusian leader told reporters in Minsk while inspecting light industry company AAT Sukno. "There will be no major flood. [I know] from my experience that snowfall in March is not dangerous. March snow should not be feared. It will melt little by little and go away with fogs."

Mr. Lukashenka noted that floods were common in Palesse and other areas of Belarus. Local residents say that a severe flood is better for farmers than no flooding at all, he said.

However, the government will take all necessary measures to prevent deadly accidents, Mr. Lukashenka promised, recalling that dozens of people had been killed in flash floods in Argentina earlier in the week.

Mr. Lukashenka said that he would hold a government conference the following week to discuss precautionary measures.

A blizzard that hit Belarus on March 15 scared people because they are not accustomed to snowstorms, he said. Mr. Lukashenka said that when he was a child, it was normal if snowdrifts covered everything except rooftops in winter. "I can't see any disaster," he said. "You should rejoice that so much snow has fallen. This means that the harvest will be good." // BelaPAN