Thousands of homes flooded across Russia

Spring floods have submerged 2,477 homes in Russia, up from 903 in the past 24 hours, the Emergencies Ministry said on Thursday. A total of 5,223 residents have been affected. Over 1,000 people, including 150 children had to be evacuated, the ministry said. The situation is the worst in the Republic of Tatarstan, and Saratov and Samara regions, as well as in parts of the Central and Volga Federal Districts, where 45 bridges, two dams and two sections of highways have been flooded. Over 4,700 towns are expected to be affected by floods in Yakutia, the Maritime, Khabarovsk and Krasnoyarsk Territories, and the Irkutsk region in Siberia. The risk zone includes some 1,900 highway sections, 378 railroad sections and 563 bridges.