134 die in SW Russia flash floods - Gayo Lues

Many were feared drowned in their beds as the sheer force of the overnight waters caught the residents by surprise, Russian officials and witnesses said on Saturday.

In the worst-hit town of Krymsk, floods ploughed pavements, ripped up traffic lights, and flooded buildings.

The authorities estimated that up to 13,000 people have been affected by the floods caused by torrential rains in the Krymsk district.

Officials said 123 bodies had been found in the Krymsk area, including the body of a 10-year-old child.

Power outages in Krymsk continued on Saturday, with reports from the flood-hit area saying the water had risen as high as seven meters.

Officials said the disaster happened very quickly, following an overnight rise in the level of the Bakanka River.

The resort town of Gelendzhik received five months’ worth of rain in 24 hours, which forced Russian Railways to suspend train traffic, citing “difficult weather conditions” in the area.

In the port city of Novorossiisk, which saw two months’ worth of rain in 24 hours, floods disrupted the port’s operations, and pipeline operator Transneft had to halt shipments of crude oil.

MRS/MF/HGL