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Ministry estimates flood-related damage in Far East at 25 billion rubles

Six thousand five hundred houses with 44,500 tenants in 125 settlements in 26 municipal districts remain inundated
Photo ITAR-TASS/Igor Ageenko
Photo ITAR-TASS/Igor Ageenko

MOSCOW, August 28 (Itar-Tass) - Russia's Regional Development Ministry said the losses caused by the flood in the Far East are estimated at more than 25 billion rubles.

It is a preliminary estimate of the damage caused to five flood-stricken provinces, Regional Development Minister Igor Slyunyayev said as he opened a conference with Jewish Autonomous Region officials on Wednesday. Six thousand five hundred houses with 44,500 tenants in 125 settlements in 26 municipal districts remain inundated.

Slyunyayev called for continuing the damage evaluation efforts. "There will be much work to rebuild the infrastructure, social facilities and housing. "Housing is the largest problem; part of houses is beyond repair," the minister said.

He urged the regions to provide accommodation to people without waiting for federal budget assistance. Regional authorities should envision subsidies for citizens for renting apartment in the winter, give priority to finishing the construction of nearly complete buildings and purchase apartments for the needy, and use advance technologies and modular construction.

Deputy presidential envoy in the Far Eastern Federal District Vladimir Pysin earlier estimated the damage at over 30 billion rubles. According to the Regional Development Ministry, the Amur region will need more than ten billion rubles for eliminating the aftermath of the flood. Preliminary damage in the Khabarovsk territory and the Jewish Autonomous Region is estimated at two billion rubles and 3.26 billion rubles, respectively.