MOSCOW, April 7 (Xinhua) -- Six people, including three children, have died in floods following record-high rainfall in Russia's Republic of Dagestan, regional head Sergei Melikov said Tuesday.
Heavy rainfall in Dagestan during the last days of March and on April 5 triggered widespread flooding, disruptions to water and power supplies, rockslides and mudflows, damaging roads and bridges, Melikov told a videoconference chaired by Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The Gedzhukh reservoir in the Derbentsky district burst on Sunday, forcing over 4,000 people to evacuate, he said, adding that a total of 6,200 people have been evacuated in Dagestan, with 55 temporary accommodation centers set up.
Putin stressed that on March 30, rainfall of three times the monthly average fell in Dagestan in a single day, a record level for the region since meteorological observations began in 1882.
He urged federal, regional and local authorities to join hands in professionally monitoring the situation, assessing the damages, and providing timely and legal assistance to those affected.
Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov noted that a sharp rise in river levels in Dagestan following a powerful cyclone during the weekend has led to the flooding of more than 6,000 residential buildings across 25 settlements and damage to transport infrastructure.
