Floods spread
to two more regions in Yakutia

June 13, 2006 (Itar-Tass) - The Lena River is flooding populated localities in two more regions in Yakutia – Hangalassky and Namsky. Eight houses have been flooded in Tojon-Ary and Grafsky Bereg villages.

The waters are not retreating from the Olekminsk region having risen to a 10-centimetre mark over the last 24 hours.

Fifteen houses remain flooded in the town of Olekminsk, and 40 and 35 homes in the villages of Troitsk and Kyllakh, respectively. Three more houses have been flooded in the villages of Olekminskoye and Pervaya Abaga.

The Far Eastern regional centre of the Emergencies Situations Ministry reported on Tuesday that the Lena River had flooded a total of 101 houses in the lowland areas of the Republic of Saha (Yakutia).

Intensive rains in the Irkutsk region where Lena starts, the melting of snow in the mountains and excessive dumping of water by the Mamakanskaya hydropower station are believed to be three major causes behind the massive floods.