Floods kill 5 in Russia, thousands evacuated after dam wall breaks in Dagestan

Flooding sparked by heavy rains killed at least five people in southern Russia on Monday, while thousands of others were evacuated from their homes, authorities said.

Social media videos showed flooded villages and highways engulfed by water in Russia’s Dagestan republic in the Caucasus Mountains, with overturned cars lying on the roadside.

A multi-storey residential building partly collapsed in the regional capital Makhachkala.

“Water levels rose after heavy rain, leading to further flooding of streets and residential areas,” Russia’s emergencies ministry said.

At least two cars were swept away by floodwaters, killing four people including three children, Russia’s Investigative Committee said.

Another person died in a landslide, Russia’s emergency ministry said earlier. Some water filtration plants in the region had to be stopped due to power cuts, according to the local authorities.