Flooding hits western Ukraine (07/05/98)

Flooding hits western Ukraine

IVANO-FRANKIVSK - After several days of rainfall, rivers in the Carpathian Mountains in western Ukraine overflowed their banks and sent a torrent of water into the Dnister River. Severe flooding hit 92 settlements and 2,000 people were evacuated from their homes, reported the Respublika news service on June 21.

Some 50,000 hectares of farmland and 5,000 buildings were affected by the flooding. Thirty-three power substations were inoperative and, as a result, the residents of 44 villages were without electricity.

According to the chief of civil defense of the Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast, Mykola Palamarchuk, the region has not experienced such flooding for 30 years.

Respublika reported that flooding occurred also in the Lviv region, affecting 20 settlements, while in Poltava Oblast 230 residential buildings were damaged by flood waters. Six villages in the Ternopil Oblast also were hit by flooding, according to the UNIAN news service.

A task force of the Ministry of Emergency Situations has been delegated to assist regional civil defense authorities.