Putin orders investigation into deadly Russian floods

The Russian president has ordered an investigation into allegations that emergency services could have responded better to lethal floods. At least 170 people have died in the country's south as a result of the disaster. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday ordered an investigation into whether authorities were properly prepared for flooding in the southern part of the country, which has claimed at least 170 lives. Putin visited the flood-hit areas on Sunday, surveying devastation that has badly affected key transport infrastructure in parts of Russia's south. The Russian president compared the floods to a tsunami. The worst hit town has been Krymsk, where rescue teams now say they have found 139 bodies. Many of the victims were reported to be pensioners who had been caught up in the flooding as they slept. In all, some 5,000 homes have been flooded, and around 22,000 people are without power. "The Krasnodar region is experiencing the most difficult and the most devastating floods in its history," the regional administration said. A day of mourning for the victims is set to be observed on Monday. Putin, who surveyed the stricken area by helicopter, said survivors would be given new homes while the families of the deceased would receive two million rubles ($60,800) each. Speculation about floodgates The promise came after complaints from some Krymsk residents that they had been abandoned by authorities. Putin also addressed speculation that the flooding had resulted from the opening of emergency floodgates at a local reservoir. The Russian president appeared on television asking officials what had happened. Krasdonar regional governor Alexander Tkachev answered that rain had led to the disaster. Federal investigators on Sunday said that, while water had been released from the reservoir, it was not the cause of the flooding.