In southern Russia, the forest fires which have claimed the lives of at least eight people have begun to spread.

The blazes in the provinces on the Volga river southeast of Moscow follow fires in central Russia in July and August in which at least 54 people died.

“We think human factors are mainly responsible for causing the fires. There have been a few cases of electrical wires touching eash other and sparking, the sparks fall on the grass and start a fire which quickly spreads. And of course the burning rubbish dumps also contribute – the wind blows the burning rubbish around.” said one firefighter.

Television pictures showed smoke rising from the blackened ruins of one of the 20 villages of wooden houses destroyed in the region of Volgograd.

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