MINERALNYE VODY, May 24. /TASS/. Authorities of the Stavropol region in southern Russia have declared a state of emergency due to floods caused by torrential rains, regional Governor Vladimir Vladimirov said at a meeting of the Flood Operations Center in the city of Mineralnye Vody.
"We have declared a state of emergency across the region," he said. "Forecasts say that the next two days will be difficult… Everybody will work 24 hours a day until the water level starts decreasing," the governor added.
Vladimirov also said that "all people who have lost his property will get compensations." "If the situation does not worsen, then compensations will total at least 500,000,000 rubles (roughly $8.9 mln)," he said.
Head of the Mineralnye Vody District Administration Sergei Pertsev said that a total of 250 homes have been flooded in the city, more than 800 people, including 140 children, had to be evacuated. "Three temporary accommodation centers have been set up. The water level in the River Kuma continues to rise but we have enough personnel and equipment to provide assistance to those affected," Pertsev said.
The water level in the River Kuma has doubled, reaching 6.8 meters. Small rivers coming from mountains have been overflowing, a dam in the Grazhdanskoye settlement has broken, while another dam, located in the Suvorovka settlement, is being washed out.