Rescuers rush to Russian flood zone

Residents have salvaged a few possessions

Rescue workers are struggling to reach remote areas of Russia's North Caucasus region devastated by some of the worst floods in decades.

The number of confirmed victims rose to 72 on Tuesday. Officials say at least 86,000 people were left homeless by the rising waters.

Most of the victims died in Stavropol territory.

Transport links have been devastated

Emergency officials say more than 3,000 homes have been completely destroyed, and around 45,000 others were flooded.

The region's infrastructure has suffered massive damage.

More than 230 bridges have been destroyed, and nearly 1000 kilometres (75 miles) of roads damaged. Railway lines and gas pipelines have been severed, along with water and electricity distribution networks.

Some 12,000 rescue workers were being sent to the region to try to restore vital services and reach outlying areas.

Although Stavropol took the brunt of the damage, people died in several other territories, including Karachayevo-Cherkessia, Krasnodar territory, North Ossetia and Kabardino-Balkaria.

Click here to see a map of the area

The waters began rising after a week of heavy rain.

A frantic rescue effort began as the scale of the disaster. Many villagers were plucked from their homes by helicopter as the waters rose.

Flood devastation

236 towns and villages hit

45,000 homes flooded

3,000 homes destroyed

233 bridges destroyed

120km of gas pipelines hit

Nearly 1,000km of roads damaged

39km water pipes damaged

500km power lines damaged

Helicopters are now being used to distribute food and medicine.

"The situation remains grave even though the floods have passed their peak," a spokesman for the Emergencies Ministry told the French news agency AFP.

The minstry's head, Sergei Shoigu, was due to fly to Dagestan on Tuesday to assess the damage for himself.

He said an improvement in the weather had eased the flood crisis.

Some victims' relatives have accused the authorities of a slow and ineffective response.

Officials blamed each other for a poorly co-ordinated response.

"We could have prevented some of the casualties if the whole system had worked well together, starting with the weather forecasts," he told journalists.

A special commission has been set up to oversee repairs to the infrastructure.

The floods are the worst in Russia since the Siberian republic of Yakutia was inundated by melting snow and ice a year ago, and residents say they are the worst in Chechnya since 1937.

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