Yakutia Floods Force Over 100 From Homes and Maroon Livestock

Flooding along the Indigirka River in Russia’s Yakutia region has inundated 93 houses and forced the evacuation of more than 100 residents from the Oymyakon and Momsky districts, the Emergency Ministry said. Most evacuees have been moved to temporary shelters while Mi-8 helicopters ferry food and other essentials to cut-off settlements. Rising mountain rivers have also damaged roads, complicating relief efforts. Two weeks of heavy rain have swamped pastureland, leaving herds of cattle marooned on small patches of high ground near the village of Khara-Tumul. Local authorities and volunteers are working to rescue the animals and protect additional livestock as water levels continue to fluctuate. Meteorologists warn that further precipitation is possible in the coming days. Emergency crews are reinforcing embankments and monitoring rivers across the Sakha Republic to prevent additional breaches.