Thousands of residents in the Krasnodar Region in south Russia flocked to churches on Sunday to mourn the victims of devastating floods that killed at least 155 people.
“The entire Kuban [the original name of the Krasnodar Region] is mourning for the people killed in the floods. The largest number of victims is in the Krymsk district,” the regional administration said in a statement.
The Krasnodar Region authorities have declared July 9 a day of mourning for the flood victims and have cancelled all festivities on the occasion of Family Day being celebrated in Russia on July 8, as well as all entertainment events.
Since early Sunday morning, Muscovites have been bringing flowers and lighting candles in front of the Krasnodar Region mission in Moscow.
Russia’s worst in decades floods, triggered by heavy rainfalls, ravaged several cities and residential areas in the Krasnodar Region on Friday night, including Gelendzhik, Novorossiysk, as well as Krymsk, a town with a population of 57,000 people, located some 87 kilometers (54 miles) from Krasnodar. Over 5,000 homes were flooded in the region as a result of the disaster.
At least 139 people were killed by the disaster in the Krymsk district that was swept by the flood on late Friday night, when most of the people were asleep.
The floods have disrupted power, gas and water supply lines, automobile and rail communication.
