KHABAROVSK, August 25 (RIA Novosti) - Waters of Russia’s Far Eastern Amur River continue to rise, gaining three centimeters in the past 24 hours, the regional government said on Sunday.
“On Sunday morning water levels of the Amur Region near the city of Khabarovsk stood at 723 centimeters, gaining three centimeters in the past 24 hours,” the region’s government said in its update for 8:00 a.m. local time (9:00 p.m. GMT Saturday).
Khabarovsk Territory acting governor Vyacheslav Shport said on Saturday the situation has slightly improved as compared to previous days, when water levels gained 14-17 centimeters in 24 hours.
The regional emergencies service said that as of noon local time, water rose by another centimeter, to 724 centimeters. According to forecasts, water levels are to increase to 780 centimeters by the end of this month and up to 830 centimeters at worse when the flooding reaches its forecasted peak in September.
A major road in the region, a highway linking Khabarovsk and another Far Eastern city, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, will be closed for traffic at nighttime to allow repair works at inundated areas.
A total of 30 cities and towns with a population of 3,140 people are flooded in the Khabarovsk Territory and 726 homes have been inundated. As of Sunday, 1,900 people have been evacuated from the affected areas.
A spokesman for the Far Eastern military district said about 600 people have sought medical aid from military doctors deployed in the area.
The Khabarovsk Territory administration announced it would pay compensations of 50,000-10,000 to residents who lost their property in the disaster.
