YAKUTSK, June 1. /TASS/. More than 110 private plots have been flooded in settlements across the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) as rising river levels continue to affect parts of the republic, according to the regional office of Russia's Emergencies Ministry.
"Due to the ice breakup, water levels on the Yana River and its tributaries have risen sharply," the ministry said. "Near the village of Ust-Yansk in the Ust-Yansky district, 51 private plots have been flooded, while no residential buildings have been affected."
The ministry added that a second flood wave is moving through the Aldan River basin in the Ust-Maysky district. "In the settlements of Ust-Maya, Ezhantsy, and Eldikan, 48 private plots have been flooded. Further downstream, in the Tomponsky district, five household plots have been inundated in the settlement of Okhotsky-Perevoz."
Another 10 private plots have been flooded in Verkhnekolymsk, although no residential buildings have been affected. The runway at Zyryanka Airport is completely under water.
"High water levels persist on the Aldan, Yana, and Kolyma rivers, causing water to spill onto floodplains and inundate low-lying areas in populated localities. Interagency response teams are operating across the Kolyma group of districts. Rescuers from the Emergencies Ministry and Yakutia's rescue services continue bank reinforcement work, provide targeted assistance to residents, and carry out preventive measures. Unmanned aerial vehicles are being used to monitor the flood situation on the region's rivers," said Pavel Garin, head of the regional office of Russia's Emergencies Ministry.
Yakutia is one of Russia's most flood-prone regions, particularly during the spring flood season and periods of heavy rainfall on small mountain rivers.