Russian President Vladimir Putin accepted Tuesday the resignation of Ivan Malakhov as governor of the Sakhalin Region in the country`s Far East following last week`s tragic earthquake.

Two people were killed and 13 injured when an earthquake hit the southern half of Sakhalin Island midday Thursday last week. The tremor, which measured 6-7 on the Richter scale, also generated two tsunami waves 20-30 centimeters high on the Japanese island of Hokkaido.

President Putin appointed Alexander Khoroshavin acting governor of the region and also nominated him for the post.

After hearing a report from Minister for Emergency Situations Sergei Shoigu, President Putin criticized the relief operation and efforts by local authorities and, in particularly, the work of former Governor Malakhov.

The president ordered the minister to investigate the poorly organized relief effort, namely, why adults and children were forced to sleep on concrete floors in tents, and why local authorities and the governor failed to visit the city of Nevelsk, which was most affected by the quake.

Seventy nine apartment blocks, 1,601 apartments, where over 3,200 people lived, were destroyed by the earthquake.
sections: Politics, Region News
areas: North-West region