Russia: Putin agrees to declare national emergency over oil spill in Norilsk

Putin

NOVO-OGARYOVO, June 3. /TASS/: Russian President Vladimir Putin thinks it necessary to declare a federal emergency in the Krasnoyarsk Region over an oil spill.

At the Wednesday meeting devoted to the diesel fuel spill in the eastern Siberian region of Krasnoyarsk, Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev called for the situation to be declared a federal emergency.

"I agree with your proposal to declare an emergency," Putin responded.

Criticism over delayed response

Vladimir Putin has harshly criticized the local officials of Russia’s Krasnoyarsk Region for the delayed response to the diesel oil spill in the area of Norilsk, expressing outrage at Russian federal officials having to find out about the incident through social networks.

"Why did the officials find out about this only two days later? Are we going to find out about emergencies through social networks? Do you have a problem or something?" Putin said during a special session dedicated to the diesel oil spill in Norilsk.