Dagestan declares state of emergency as torrential rains trigger flood crisis

A state of emergency has been declared in Dagestan's Gergebil District following flooding caused by continued rises in water levels across several settlements, according to the district administration, as cited by Kommersant.

The decision was taken during an extraordinary meeting of the district's emergency commission on the evening of July 8, chaired by district head Magomedali Tagirov. He said the severe weather had caused significant damage across the district, prompting the introduction of the emergency regime.

Heavy rainfall that swept across Dagestan on July 7–8 also led to widespread power outages. As of July 8, around 30,000 people in 48 settlements remained without electricity. In addition, four settlements were under threat of flooding due to a critical rise in the water level of the Sulak River.

Meanwhile, a dam in Dagestan's Kaitag District was partially breached after the Ulluchay River surged, creating a risk of flooding in the village of Madzhalis, the district administration told TASS.

Authorities evacuated residents of 13 homes on the outskirts of the village after the damaged hydraulic structure raised concerns about flooding. Two houses located closest to the river are also at risk of collapse.

Earlier, forecasters warned of heavy rain, hail, thunderstorms and winds of up to 18–23 metres per second across parts of the republic between July 8 and 10.

By Aghakazim Guliyev