Two People Drown on Līgo Day in Latvia; One Dies in Rēzekne Fire
On Līgo Day, June 23, two people drowned in Latvia – one in Dobele County and one in Smiltene County. During the Jāņi night, a person died in an apartment fire in Rēzekne, while three others were rescued. In total, the State Fire and Rescue Service received 96 calls over the day.
/nginx/o/2019/03/27/11899248t1h33a8.jpg)
The State Fire and Rescue Service (VUGD) reported that two people drowned in Latvia on Līgo Day, June 23. At around 3:30 PM, a call came from Penkule Parish in Dobele County, where a person went swimming and disappeared. Rescuers found the body deceased. Shortly before midnight, another call was received from Grundzāle Parish in Smiltene County, where a person was drowning in a pond. The individual was pulled out before VUGD arrived, but could not be revived.
During the Jāņi night at about 2:00 AM, a fire broke out in a first-floor apartment (20 m²) of a three-story residential building in Rēzekne, killing one person. Firefighters using rescue masks saved three people; one was injured and handed over to medics, while two had evacuated before the fire service arrived.
Earlier in the day, around 1:30 PM, VUGD responded to Plēksne Street in Riga, where burnt food on a stove caused heavy smoke in a first-floor apartment of a five-story building. One person and a dog were rescued from the smoke-filled apartment; the person was injured and received medical attention.
Over the past 24 hours, VUGD handled 96 calls: 29 for firefighting, 18 for rescue operations, and 49 were false alarms. Other fires included a shed, transformer, intermediate floor ceiling, an uninhabited house, dry grass, a pile of branches, reeds, bushes, two garden houses, a car, a table, and several waste fires.
