A total of 2,561 structure fires occurred across Mongolia in the first half of this year, claiming 37 lives and injuring 16 others, said the country's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Thursday.
The fires also caused property losses of 5.9 billion Mongolian tugriks (2.2 million U.S. dollars), the NEMA said in a statement.
The number of the fires increased by 18.3 percent year on year, the NEMA said, adding that economic losses were halved compared to the same period last year.
Negligence by citizens and officials as well as electrical short circuits was the main causes, according to the emergency agency.
Firefighters and NEMA rescuers have saved 626 lives and properties worth 35.9 billion Mongolian tugriks (around 13.5 million dollars) from fire, according to the NEMA.
(Xinhua)
