Russian flood death toll rises to 171

Russian President Vladimir Putin flew to the disaster-stricken region on Sunday and ordered investigators to find out if more could have been done to save lives, the Associated Press reported.

The flooding has turned streets into swirling muddy rivers and submerged thousands of homes, as many were feared drowned in their beds.

The sheer force of the water shocked the residents of the worst-hit town of Krymsk early Saturday and some suspected that water had been deliberately released from a reservoir in the mountains above.

The authorities estimated that up to 13,000 people have been affected by the floods.

Power outages in Krymsk continued on Sunday, with reports from the flood-hit area saying the water had risen as high as seven meters.

The resort town of Gelendzhik received five months’ worth of rain in 24 hours, which forced Russian Railways to suspend train traffic, citing “difficult weather conditions” in the area.

In the port city of Novorossiisk, which also saw two months’ worth of rain in 24 hours, floods disrupted the port’s operations, and pipeline operator Transneft had to halt shipments of crude oil.

GJH/MF/AS

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