Death toll rises in Russian floods

Rescue workers battled swirling mud-laden waters sweeping through resortsin southern Russia on Saturday after days of heavy rains and a violenttornado had left 37 dead and hundreds of vacationers stranded. Aspokeswoman at the Emergencies Ministry said workers had retrieved thebodies of 37 people carried off by swollen floodwaters in the Krasnodarregion over the last few days and were continuing to search for more. NTVcommercial television said 27 of the bodies had been identified and most ofthem were tourists. Two children were among the victims.The majority of the victims were found in the resort of Shirokaya Balka,just 10 miles from the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk and one of the worsthit by the flooding. NTV also said more than 1,500 people had beenevacuated from the Black Sea region, popular with summer vacationers, theRussia Journal reported..