Hundreds evacuated amid flooding in Russia's Far East

Emergency services are preparing for mass evacuations after more than 40 houses were flooded in Russia's Far East. Amid heavy rainfall, the water level at the Zeya water reservoir in the Amur Region continues to rise.

The dam is discharging thousands of cubic metres of water per second, which in turn is leading to flooding. With bridges and roads submersed, several villages are cut off from the world.

If the rain does not ease off the dam would be forced to open all its locks, putting dozens of villages and towns are at jeopardy.

“The situation is getting worse. The water level is still increasing. It is likely that we'll have to partially evacuate the dwellers to safe territory,” Oleg Rozhkovsky, Ovsyanka village administrator, stated.