Residents of villages in the Dakhadayevsky district reported on the consequences of landslides.

THIS MATERIAL (INFORMATION) WAS PRODUCED AND DISTRIBUTED BY THE FOREIGN AGENT MEMO LLC, OR CONCERNING THE ACTIVITIES OF THE FOREIGN AGENT MEMO LLC.

A state of emergency has been declared in the Dakhadayevsky District of Dagestan due to landslides. The villages of Urkarakh, Kubachi, and Kalkni were hit the hardest. Villagers described the problems they faced due to landslides and rock falls.

As reported by the "Caucasian Knot," dozens of road sections in Dagestan were closed after floods, landslides, and in mountainous areas, after avalanches and snowstorms. As of April 19, 14 villages in the Dakhadayevsky, Tlyaratinsky, and Tsumadinsky districts remained blocked.

On April 20, Dagestanavtodor reported on its Telegram channel that nine sections of roads were closed as of 10:00 AM Moscow time. Sixteen settlements remain without transport links: six in the Tlyaratinsky District, six in the Dakhadayevsky District, and four in the Tsuntinsky District. Emergency recovery operations are underway in all areas.

On April 20, the Dagestan government announced on its Telegram channel that the 54-kilometer section of the Levashi-Akusha-Urkarakh-Madzhalis-Mamedkala highway was temporarily closed to traffic due to a major landslide on the upstream slope and adjacent slope. Work is underway to create a temporary passageway over the landslide area. The temporary road network is expected to reopen on April 21.

Dakhadaevsky District Head Magomed Abdulkadirov announced on his Telegram channel that a municipal emergency has been declared in the municipality due to landslides, rock falls, and debris flows.

"Among the most affected settlements are Urkarakh (62 houses), Kubachi (14 houses), and Kalkni (6 houses). Currently, 178 people have been evacuated, all of whom are staying with relatives. Landslides continue, accompanied by the formation of cracks, faults, and further destruction of buildings and infrastructure. National roads have sustained serious damage, and transport links to many settlements have been disrupted. In the village of Urkarakh, the main water supply line has been damaged, threatening the water supply. "Twelve water tankers are being used to deliver water," the district head reported.

Residents of villages in the Dakhadayevsky District told a "Caucasian Knot" correspondent on April 20 about the problems they were facing.

"The road to Urkharakh is severely damaged on one side; cars can only travel along the lane closest to the mountains. There is no water in the main part of the village due to a damaged water main. The school and first-aid post are operating as usual," said village resident Ziyaudin.

In Urkharakh, the necessary equipment is working, and a large amount of bottled water, food, blankets, mattresses, and essential items are being delivered to humanitarian aid collection points, Isa reported.

"Our house was damaged as a result of a landslide. Of course, there is significant damage, and other villagers have suffered even more. We are helping each other as best we can. "It's too early to talk about compensation for damages, but we hope there will be some payments," says Ali.

Kubachi village resident Said said the road to the village through Urkarakh is open. Vehicles are using it, carrying construction equipment and humanitarian aid. The new road to Kubachi is currently impossible to access due to rockfalls almost daily, he added. "Schools and kindergartens in Kubachi and Urkarakh are operating normally. In Urkarakh, local authorities, concerned about the unsafe location, closed the kindergarten in the Vyakni area in 2024, which suffered significant damage, and then transferred the children to a new kindergarten. The old kindergarten was destroyed by a landslide just two or three days ago," he said.

Alexey Gunya: Dagestan is facing a new climate reality

The Institute of Geography of the Russian Academy of Sciences has linked regular flooding in Dagestan to a combination of natural processes and anthropogenic impacts, which exacerbate the scale of natural disasters. In particular, development on river floodplains, deforestation, and the disregard for water protection zones "literally multiply the consequences" of flooding, which under other conditions might have been relatively calm, noted Doctor of Geographical Sciences Alexey Gunya.

Dagestani analysts interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot" also named ill-considered development, natural factors, and the deplorable state of hydraulic structures among the causes of the devastating flooding. At the same time, they unanimously considered the volunteers' contribution to the fight against the consequences of the flood to be significant.

The Caucasian Knot has compiled materials about flooding in the republics of the North Caucasus Federal District in the spring of 2026 on the thematic page "Flooding in the North Caucasus".