Eight dead from Ukraine dam flooding: Russia

MOSCOW: Russian-installed authorities in southern Ukraine on Friday reported more casualties from the flood triggered by the destruction of a key dam, and said the water could keep rising for more than a week. “Unfortunately, there are casualties... Their number has grown to eight people,” the Moscow-installed head of the Kherson region, Vladimir Saldo, said on Telegram. The water, which flooded 22,273 homes in 17 settlements, could “keep rising for up to ten days.” More than 5,800 people were evacuated since the flood was unleashed on Tuesday, Saldo said, including 243 children. Saldo accused Ukrainian forces of shelling the region, which “complicates the work of rescuers.” AFP journalists in the Ukrainian-held city of Kherson and its surrounding areas reported shelling which appeared to be coming from Russian positions. Russia and Ukraine have been blaming each other for the destruction of the Russian-held dam on the Dnipro river.