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Serbian president offers condolences to Putin over floods in Irkutsk Region

According to the latest information of the Emergencies Ministry, 14 people were killed in the flood and 13 are missing

MOSCOW, July 2. /TASS/. Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has sent a letter of condolences and offers of help to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the tragic death of people in floods in the Irkutsk Region, the Serbian leader’s press service reported on Tuesday.

"Accept my sincere condolences over the victims of heavy floods that swept across the Irkutsk Region. I want to convey the deepest condolences to the bereaved families and those looking for their relatives and friends and wishes of speedy recovery to the injured," the letter says.

"Serbia is ready to help in every possible way, as we can always share with our friends all that we have," the message reads. Vucic said that Serbia has never forgotten Russia’s help "when five years ago the country was affected by disastrous floods." "We will always highly value the commitment of the Russian first responders who were the first to come for help, risking their lives," the Serbian leader said in the letter.

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More than 3,000 houses inundated with flood waters in Irkutsk Region

Floods in the Irkutsk Region, where a state of emergency is operating, started in late June. The water level in the Iya River exceeded the critical level by almost seven meters. According to the latest information provided by the Emergencies Ministry, 14 people were killed in the flood and 13 are missing. A total of 1,258 people turned for medical help, including 97 children, and 191 people, including 38 children, were hospitalized.

By the morning of July 2, 4,100 houses (in which 9,300 people live, including 2,200 children), eight socially significant facilities and 4,100 residential yards remain inundated in 42 communities in three districts of the region, the Emergencies Ministry reported. No regional community is cut off by the flood any more, the Emergencies Ministry specified.

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