You're reading: Update: More fires and related deaths in Russia

Over 300 new forest fires broke out across parts of Russia over the past 24 hours amid a record heat wave with no new reports of deaths, head of the Emergency Situations Ministry's crisis center, Vladimir Stepanov, said.

"More than 300 new fires have occurred on Russian territory on Tuesday. The most difficult situation was outside Sarov in the Nizhny Novgorod region," Stepanov told journalists on Wednesday.

The number of firefighters working near Sarov has been increased to 2,000, and more equipment, including robots, has been deployed, he said.

"The situation near Sarov has been stabilized, and the forces are being increased," he said.

Over 160,000 people and more than 80,000 pieces of machinery have been engaged in fighting the wildfires, Stepanov said.

On Tuesday, 260 populated areas faced being engulfed in flames, but active and efficient steps taken by firefighters, rescue teams and all those involved in fighting the fires prevented this from happening, he said.

The situation remains difficult and is not likely to improve soon, Stepanov said.

"The weather doesn’t give us any chances, and the forecast for the near future is unfavorable. Taking this into account, the forces and the necessary reserves are being beefed up. Work has been continuing round-the-clock and has not been stopped even for a minute," Stepanov said.

The death toll from forest fires caused by record breaking heat has jumped to at least 48 as more than 400 more blazes broke out across parts of Russia over the past 24 hours, the Emergency Situations Ministry said on Aug. 4.

"Overall, 813 wildfires are burning, including 24 peat fires," Stepanov’s ministry said.

"Four hundred and three forest fires have sparked up over the past 24 hours, including 13 peat fires, and 293 forest fires have been put out, but 520 fires continue burning over an area of 188,500 hectares. Of this number, 310 have been localized over an area of 78,800 hectares," the ministry said.

No reports have come in about homes being destroyed in the fires.

Eight bodies were discovered when the ruins of burnt out houses were being cleared away, including three in the Moscow region, two in the Nizhny Novgorod region and one each in the Voronezh, Ryazan and Ivanovo regions," the ministry said. "The death toll from the fires has thus reached 48."