Ukraine – 3 Dead After Severe Flooding in Western Regions

by in Europe, News

Overflowing rivers have caused severe damage in parts of western Ukraine after heavy rain over the last few days.

Flood rescues and evacuations in Ukraine, 23 June 2020. Photo: Ukraine SES

According to a statement from the country’s Interior Ministry, flooding has affected the western regions (oblasts) of Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zakarpattia and Lviv after heavy rainfall 22 to 23 June. Three people have died in flooding in Verkhovyna district, Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, where roads have been blocked and areas cut off.

Emergency services are carrying out rescue and relief operations in affected areas. Overflowing rivers have destroyed bridges and roads. Power lines have been damaged, as have hundreds of homes.

State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) reported on 24 June that a total of 165 settlements in 15 districts have been affected in Ivano-Frankivsk. SES have rescued or evacuated over 350 people and pumped flood water from thousands of damaged homes.

In Lviv oblast, over 120 people have been evacuated across several districts including Stryi, Zhydachiv and Starosambir after several rivers broke their banks.

In the Chernivtsi region, the Cheremosh River broke through an embankment, flooding the village of Banyliv in Vyzhnytskyi district.

Meanwhile levels of the Prut River are rising rapidly, and are expected to reach between 6.8 and 7.3 metres in Chernivtsi during the afternoon of 24 June.

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