IRKUTSK. July 31 (Interfax-AVN) - The first out of the seven mass-produced BE-200ChS multipurpose amphibians ordered by the Emergencies Ministry from the Irkut research and production cooperation has landed on Lake Baikal.
"The BE-200ChS plane built by Irkut on an order of the Emergencies Ministry demonstrated its main capabilities here at Maryanaya Bay," First Deputy Emergencies Minister Yuri Vorobyov told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
Irkut will hand over the rest of the planes to the ministry before 2005, he said.
"The aircraft will considerably expand capabilities of the Emergencies Ministry's aviation in putting out area fires, and the ministry will quite soon be ready to send planes of this type abroad to take part in fire fighting on the requests of foreign governments," Vorobyov noted.
The deputy minister attended the opening of the first section of the Baikal search and rescue detachment base near the Listvyanka village in the Irkutsk region. He observed demonstrative actions of rescuers on water from the Zaisan vessel.
The Baikal detachment numbering 110 people was set up in January 2002. Its administration is located in the Nikola village, and six search and rescue units are situated in the localities of Nikola, Ust-Barguzin, Slyudyanka, Sakhyurt, Severobaikalsk and Posolskoye. The detachment is armed with about 40 automobiles, including 10 emergency rescue vehicles. In addition, it has Poisk, Sportis-7500K, Redan-550 and Redan-700 boats, the Khivus-10 air cushion boat, motor boats, inflatable boats and rafts, and Buran snowmobiles.
"The detachment's area of responsibility covers Lake Baikal and adjacent sectors of the Buryatian internal republic and Irkutsk region," Vorobyov said.
The detachment has carried out 2,302 rescue operations since its establishment, saving the lives of about 120 people.