Five more people missing in Irkutsk floods found alive - Emergency Situations Ministry
IRKUTSK. July 3 (Interfax) - The search for eight persons who went missing during flash floods in the Irkutsk region continues, a spokesman for the regional branch of the Russian Emergency Situations Ministry told Interfax on Wednesday.
"Thirteen persons were listed as missing on Tuesday night. Their number has reduced to eight. Five people have been fund alive," the spokesman said.
The death toll has not changed since Tuesday night: it is still 18, he said.
"One person died in the Taishet district, four in the Nizhneudinsk district, and 13 in the Tulun district," the spokesman said.
According to forensics, 17 people drowned, and one died of hypothermia. Everyone dead has been identified.
Seven residents of the Tulun district, and one of the Nizhneudinsk district are missing, he said.
Earlier reports said that 18 people died and 17 went missing during floods. Four missing persons were found alive some time later.
As many as 10,097 homes of 32,798 people, including 7,938 children, as well as 6,847 household plots were flooded in 95 populated localities of the region since June 25.
It was the heaviest flash flood observed in over a century of weather monitoring in the Irkutsk region. The flood was caused by a long period of heavy precipitation that fell in western parts of the region on June 24-27. Weathermen are not expecting a second wave of flooding.
An emergency was declared in the Irkutsk region on June 27.