Berlin, 9 May 2023 (dpa/MIA) - At least 21 people have died in forest and wildfires in Russia, according to media reports.

More than 40 homes in the Siberian region of Kurgan were destroyed by the fires and several villages had to be evacuated. At least 21 people were killed and 14 more injured, Russian state news agency TASS reported, citing a health worker.

"The death toll could even rise," the worker told TASS.

In the Tyumen region, also in Siberia, a man died on Monday while trying to fight the approaching fire. According to official figures, at least 20 houses were destroyed by the flames, the RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Russia has faced increasingly ferocious forest and wildfires during the summer fire season. Experts have warned for years that such catastrophes will be exacerbated by climate change.

Last year there were also isolated reports that there was a shortage of rescue workers in some forest fire regions due to the number of people being sent to fight in Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Photo: MIA archive