Assistance of Defence Forces asked for

The Kainuu rescue department has requested help from the Defence Forces following the prolonged power outage in the region, reported the local media.

Jani Kareinen, the head of emergency operations in the region told the news agency STT that assistance of the Defence Forces is needed to provide equipment suited for terrain operations to secure the functioning of mobile phone base stations.

The rescue department wants to ensure that emergency calls go through and the radio network used by the authorities function properly.

Around 1,100 households were still without power on Thursday afternoon, especially in Suomussalmi and Hyrynsalmi.

The base stations of some telecom operators still experienced interruptions during the day. The disruption manifested throughout the region.