10:07, 9 March 2004

Flood emergency in Krasnodar territory, Russia

A state of emergency was declared in the Belorechensk district, Krasnodar territory. The district administration had to take this measure because of flood resulting from massive snowmelt in the upper Belaia, Nikolai Shadrin, first deputy head of administration, told ITAR-TASS on March 9.

He said 12 settlements and thousands of hectares of land were flooded. People, cattle, and poultry have been evacuated from many farmsteads and villages.

Flood victims have been settled at schools and culture institutions, they are provided with food and medical service. To minimize flood consequences, one bank of the river Belaia has been reinforced for a second 24 hours straight. The regional main civil defense and emergency authority says water reached the critical point in other Kuban tributaries, too, last night. Floods can soon occur in the districts of Apsheronsk, Otradnaia, Labinsk, and Kurganinsk.

Source: ITAR-TASS News Agency