Putin pledges support for Kuban flood victims

Russian President Vladimir Putin instructed the Governor of the Krasnodar Region Veniamin Kondratyev and Emergencies Minister Yevgeny Zinichev to offer assistance to flood victims in the region on Saturday. He also pledged to provide support for flood relief efforts from the federal center if necessary, TASS reported.

"Unfortunately, infrastructure was largely destroyed," Putin said, adding that "it is necessary to do everything to help people." "If the federal center’s assistance is needed spell it out," he noted.

"It is necessary to estimate damage and decide on required assistance," President said.

He asked the officials how long it would take to get the houses connected to power supply. "Fundamentally, everything is ready, though it is impossible to connect electricity as the substation is flooded and houses are wet," Zinichev explained. He added that "as soon as the substation is ready and the houses are dried out," electricity would be connected.

Speaking about water supply, Kondratyev said that "the issue had been solved except for two settlements," one of them being Tuapse. He also pledged to ensure "temporary water supplies by next morning."

Heavy rains in the Krasnodar Region inundated about 30 communities, damaged highways and railroads, detained trains and destroyed several bridges and approaches to them earlier this week. Electric and gas supply interruptions have been reported, and Tuapse, a city of 60,000, is still without water. Over 2,000 houses, home to more than 5,300 people, were flooded. According to the data provided by local authorities, the death toll stands at six. An state of emergency was declared in the region.