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Water level in Iya river in Irkutsk region continues to drop

The water level in the Iya river in the flood-stricken Irkutsk region has been decreasing in the last days after hitting the critical level of 11.25 m in late July

© Sergei Derevyaga/TASS

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Imminent flooding forces Jewish Autonomous Region to declare state of emergency

MOSCOW, August 5. /TASS/. /TASS/. The water level in the Iya river near the Tulun settlement in the Irkutsk region has dropped by another 19 cm in the last 12 hours and currently stands at 6.3 m, the local administration said on Monday.

"As of 8pm local time on August 5, the water level in the Iya river stands at 631 cm," the administration said.

The critical water level for the Iya river is 7 m, with the height of the protective dam at 9 m. The water level earlier rose to 11.25 m, far suprassing the critical level. However, the water level has been gradually decreasing in the last days.

The first wave of floods hit the Irkutsk region at the end of June and continued through the middle of July. In total, nearly 10,900 houses were flooded in 109 settlements, affecting 42,700 people. The second wave of floods left 1,900 houses affected in 56 settlements, and 5,300 people were evacuated from the area. Twenty-five people died in the floods, and seven others were reported missing.

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