More than 140 people have been killed in a devastating flood in Russia's southern Krasnodar region. It's the worst of its kind in nearly a century, and the death toll continues to rise.
Russia's Interior Ministry has confirmed a total 144 deaths, but that number is likely to rise.
Up to 13,000 people have been affected by the disaster. A state of emergency has been declared in the cities of Krymsk, Novorossiysk, and Gelendzhik. In the Krymsky district alone, at least 130 bodies have been recovered. Two more have died in Novorossiysk, and nine more in the Gelendzhik district. A 10-year-old child was among the victims.
The speed of the flood was shocking, carrying away not only homes, but 16-ton trucks as well. One driver said his truck was literally carried tens of meters by the waters. In a separate incident, a nine-year-old girl was ripped from her mother and sister's arms by the force of the current.
Emergencies Ministry rescue teams and helicopters have been dispatched to the scene in order to join the rescue and repair efforts already underway in the region. Over 10,000 rescue officers and 140 helicopters are currently working at the scene.
Krasnodar regional authorities have declared July 9 a day of mourning.
Man electrocuted as four die trying to save him
Five people in Gelendzhik were electrocuted to death after a wire fell into the water. A man trying to cross a puddle next to a store on Kerchenskaya Street was the first to receive fatal injuries. Two women and another man rushed to help him, but were also killed by the electric current. A third man later approached the four bodies, and was himself electrocuted to death, his body carried away by the oncoming flood waters.
Over a meter of water crashed over the intersection of Ostrovsky and Kirov Street in the center of Gelendzhik, ripping up the pavement and sweeping away everything in its path. According to the city administration, 5,000 homes have been flooded.
Children's summer camps evacuated
Authorities in the Perm region of Russia dispatched their own rescue team to evacuate dozens of children who were at local summer camps as the storms hit.
"The children have no contact with the Ministry of Emergencies or the local authorities in Gelendzhik. For two days now they have been without supplies and electricity," said Viktor Basargin, Governor of the Perm Region. "We have decided to take action on the issue of their evacuation."
So far, 74 children have returned home. Some 115 more are said to be an area unaffected by the disaster, so the supervisors of their camp decided the kids could continue their holiday.
There is growing concern over the tourist population in the area. The land is popular with campers and tourists for its proximity to the Black Sea. This year alone 7,130 Russian children went camping in the surrounding territory, Russian Vice-premier Olga Golodetz announced in the wake of the disaster.
However, Governor Tkachyov emphasized that the all the camp grounds in the area appear to be safe: "Practically all the campgrounds are in normal condition, nothing is threatening the lives of the children." The only campground that has suffered as a result of the flooding was the "Azure Shore" campsite, which was without power.
Tkachyov nevertheless supported Basargin's decision to evacuate the children.
Six months' worth of rain in two days
The flooding occurred in the aftermath of a giant storm that swept through the region. The region experienced almost half a year's worth of rainfall over the last two days.
The most heavily affected areas are along the Russian Black Sea coast, which bore the brunt of the torrential waters as they rushed out to sea.
Russia's President Vladimir Putin as well as Emergency Minister Vladimir Puchkov and the Minister of Regional Development Oleg Govorun have visited the affected area.
"We are in the process of identifying the victims -- some are local residents, some are vacationers," said Zhelyabin. The local police have formed an emergency commission to deal with the situation as reinforcements arrive from Moscow.
Governor of the Krasnodar region Aleksandr Tkachyov surveyed the damage in the Gelendzhik and Krymsky districts from a helicopter in order to estimate repairs, sending updates on the situation via Twitter. "It is spectacular, to be sure, and very tragic. The water came with such force that it tore up the asphalt," the governor wrote, commenting on a picture of one of the main streets of the city where the flood hit hardest.
http://www.rt.com/news/toll-dead-region-floods-633/
View the original article here
