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Day of mourning in Russia over Krasnodar floods victims

Flags are at half-mast in Russia as it commemorates more than 170 people killed in a devastating flood in Russia’s southern Krasnodar region

Flags are at half-mast in Russia. July 9 is the day of mourning for more than 170 people who died in the floods in southern Krasnodar region. State of emergency is declared in the cities of Krymsk, Novorossiysk, and Gelendzhik, where more than 24,000 people have been affected by the disaster.Salvage operations continue in the region, volunteers arrive from different Russian cities, bringing in food, water, clothes and helping to clear off the aftermath. More than 640 houses have been destroyed in the deluge.A giant storm hit Krasnodar region on Friday, dropping almost half a year’s rainfall over two days. Overnight, streams of water from the mountains flooded the city of Gelendzhik. Hours later, the situation repeated in the major port city of Novorossiysk and in the town of Krymsk. Monday also commemorates victims of another tragedy that took place on Saturday. A bus carrying a group of pilgrims from the northwest town of Velikiye Luki to the Pochayev convent in western Ukraine crushed leaving 14 dead and 29 injured.