Shelling of Mountains to Prevent Avalanches is Underway in Kamchatka

PETROPAVLOVSK-KAMCHATSKY. December 25. VOSTOK-MEDIA – Experts at a local electricity distribution company teamed up with Kamchatka Avalanche Center and JSC Geotherm to carry out a preventive shelling of Barkhatnaya Mauntai and Vilyuchinsky volcano. There were a number of snowfalls lately, which caused the high danger of avalanching in the area. The situation had to be dealt with as soon as possible. Experts managed to prevent the occurrence of tremendous avalanches, which could pose threat to lives and electric power transmission lines, by shelling the mountains.

The shells were fired from 6 cannons of WWII-era, which are now used for peaceful purposes.

There are a total of 103 avalanche zones in the Kamchatka Region. In the last week alone, several avalanches have descended the Paratunka River basin. At present, there is a 1.5-2 meters fall of snow in the area.

The heightened danger of avalanches in the southeast of Kamchatka, namely in Elizarovsky, Milkovsky and Bystrinsky districts, will remain until mid-spring, 2010.