Heavy rain, floods force evacuation of more than 1,500 people in Russia

Over 1,500 people have had to be evacuated as heavy rains, and the resulted flooding, have struck the south of Russia.

The Russian Emergencies Ministry’s regional directorate said on Saturday that 14 municipal districts in the Krasnodar region were under a state of emergency, according to TASS Russian News Agency.

“A state of emergency has been declared in 14 municipal districts. To reinforce the task force, emergency response teams, an airmobile group and a joint detachment of the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s Main Directorate in the Krasnodar Region have been dispatched to the cities of Anapa, Krymsk and Temryuk,” the regional directorate said.

Overall, 1,531 people have had to be evacuated, according to emergency headquarters in the region, the Associated Press reported.

The regional directorate said that close to 1,000 children in five summer camps had to evacuate due to heavy raining. 

“[As many as] 989 children have been evacuated to a safe zone from five summer camps. Seventy-six temporary accommodation facilities with a total capacity of 15,000 people have been prepared. Eight temporary accommodation facilities have been set up, with 847 people, including 588 children, accommodated there. Twenty-five people have been evacuated … in the village of Starotitarovskaya in the Temryuk District by the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s personnel,” the regional directorate, according to TASS.

The wire service noted that over 1,400 homes were flooded due to the rains and roughly 108,000 were without power in 11 areas.

Heavy rains are still expected to continue for the next several days, authorities said.