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Death toll from East Siberia floods rises to 18

The numbers come from the Emergencies Ministry, the regional governor says

MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. Eighteen people have died in severe floods in Russia’s East Siberian region of Irkutsk, regional Governor Sergei Levchenko wrote on his Instagram page on Tuesday.

"According to the Emergencies Ministry’s reports, 18 people died in the floods," his post says.

Earlier, the ministry reported 14 people killed and 13 missing. In the disaster area, at least 1,258 people have sought medical help. Among them are 97 children. Of those, 191 people are hospitalized, including 38 children.

The Emergencies Ministry reported that as of Tuesday morning, 4,100 residential buildings, which accommodate 9,300 people (including 2,200 underage children), along with eight vital facilities and 4,100 gardens remained inundated in 42 settlements of the Irkutsk region. None of the settlements is cut off by the water any longer, the ministry added.

Floods in the Irkutsk region started after torrential rains at the end of June. A state of emergency was introduced in the flood-affected areas. The water level in the Iya River has raised seven meters above the critical mark. As many as 83 settlements in six districts have been affected by the disaster. More than 6,600 dwelling houses, which accommodate more than 32,000 people, have been flooded. Overnight to June 30, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting in the city of Bratsk on the situation in the flooded areas.