Losses from seasonal floods in Orenburg region already top 40 bln rubles - governor

ORENBURG. April 11 (Interfax) - The damage caused to date by seasonal floods in the Orenburg region has been put at 40 billion rubles, the region's governor Denis Pasler said.

"The region sent the governmental commission documents with a preliminary evaluation of the damage. Today the amount exceeds 40 billion rubles. But it is clear that this is [a] very preliminary [estimate], because the water has not receded yet, and we have not started examining fully. We did preliminary work, assessed damage to houses, to social infrastructure," Pasler told Russian President Vladimir Putin by video link on Thursday.

Since April 4 the region has been under a regional state of emergency after the flood situation deteriorated. The governmental commission classed the regional floods as a federal emergency on April 7. The situation has been most serious in the cities of Orsk and Orenburg.