72 victims of flood in South Russia

Seventy-two people have died in a flood in southern Russia, according to the Emergencies Ministry, the ministry's press service said. Forty-two people died in the Stavropol region, 10 in Karachayevo-Chirkassia, 16 in the Krasnodar region, 3 in North Ossetia and one in Kabardino-Balkaria.

The damage from the flood is estimated at 12.7 billion roubles (31.47 rouble = $1). According to more precise information, the flood has engulfed 249 settlements in 60 districts. 288,000 people have suffered from it in some way, 86,000 have been evacuated.

Fifty-three thousand houses and 12,500 communal service facilities have been flooded. 4,848 houses have been destroyed and 11,342 - damaged. The flood has damaged 11,098 km of gas pipelines, 269 bridges, 1,490 km of motorways, almost 939 km of electricity transmission lines, 233 km of water pipelines, 21.3 km of railways. 131 towns have problems with electricity supplies.

In recent days 57.3 km of electricity transmission lines, 64 km of motorways, 1 km of water pipelines, 2 km of gas pipelines, 2.7 km of railways, 5 automobile bridges, and 4 water pumps have been restored. Electricity supplies have been resumed in 36 towns. 30,000 people have returned home.

The situation in the Stavropol and Krasnodar Territories, as well as in Karachayevo-Chirkassia and in Daghestan remains very grave.