Thousands flee Siberia floods

The spring thaw has brought life to a standstill in some areas

Floods caused by melting snow in south-west Siberia have left at least five people dead and forced thousands to evacuate their homes.

Four people drowned in the town of Kaltan in Kemerovo region after the river Kondoma burst its banks, the Russian news agency Interfax reported, quoting emergency services. It said they had refused to leave their houses.

Water levels in one area were reported to have risen by more than two metres within two hours. Over 3,300 people had to take to their attics or roofs.

Flooding in the Altay Territory also claimed one life, the region's interior minister said. Some 1,700 residents had to flee their homes.

Itar-Tass news agency said over 450 homes were flooded in the town of Biysk, and another 2,500 houses in three other districts.

One Russian TV report said a total of 18 people, mostly elderly, had drowned in the past week. But an officer from the Siberian emergency situations centre denied reports that nine people had died in another flood in Khakasia.

Relief efforts

The governor of Kemerovo Region, Aman Tuleyev, said the spring flooding was causing extreme difficulties.

A state of emergency has been declared in some areas

The regional administration has allocated emergency funds to help people in Kaltan, Tashtagol, Osinniki and Novokuznetsk. Rescue teams have been called in from Novosibirsk and Krasnoyarsk.

Itar-Tass news agency said a wave of flood water has reached Novokuznetsk - the confluence of the Kondoma and Tom rivers - where the ice has just broken. The water there is reported to be 1.5 metres above the critical seven-metre level.

Officials are worried that production facilities in the region's large metallurgical plants, where 60,000 people work, could be at risk.

Weathermen are forecasting higher temperatures and rain in the area in the coming days.

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