Wildfire scorches tens of thousands of acres in Kazakhstan; 2,000 displaced

A huge forest fire has burned tens of thousands of acres in northern Kazakhstan, displacing almost 2,000 people, the head of the crisis management office said Saturday.

The wildfire broke out in the Kostanay Province on Friday and spread quickly over a large swath of land, scorching 9,400 hectares (23,230 acres) by Saturday night, Aybol Akbarov told reporters.

Four villages have been evacuated and the entire region placed on the extreme emergency level. Hundreds of firefighters and more than 50 fire engines are battling the blaze.

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev will go to the region on Monday to inspect the operational headquarters, his press office said. Tokayev has told the government to unlock emergency funds needed to deal with the crisis.