New protests as Siberian freeze bites

The railway is a crucial artery for Siberia

Protesters in Russia's Far East have tried to block the Trans-Siberian railway in a new wave of protests over continuing power cuts.

Russian Public Television reported that residents of Razdolnoye, a village in the Maritime Territory, decided to take direct action but police blocked their access to the railway line.

Some flats have no heating at all

The operation of the railway has not been disrupted, but the Razdolnoye residents said they would continue the protests until their homes were heated.

Many people have not had heating, water or electricity in their homes for weeks amid one of the harshest Siberian winters in recent years.

Public television reported a total of 600,000 people were affected by poor heating in the Far East territory, and 18,000 people have no heating at all.

Conditions for ships entering harbour have been described as the worst in 25 years.

Even people used to the harsh weather are taken by surprise. Amputation is often the only course available in cases of severe frostbite, which takes hold rapidly in temperatures as low as minus 50C.

Emergency

In Yakutia, northeastern Siberia, a state of emergency has been announced in the town of Lensk, where 16 blocks of flats and nearly 30 private houses were left without heating.

Huge ice fields are hampering deliveries

Local people are running electric heaters at full capacity to keep food from freezing indoors.

Thick icefields have formed outside the port of Magadan and it is taking 10 times longer than usual for icebreakers to escort tankers and container ships into port.

The icefield now extends some 400km from the shore.

No improvement is expected until a wind from the north-east carries ice out of Nagayevo Bay, but forecasters do not expect this to happen until February at the earliest.