April 6, 2026, 5:01 p.mApril 6, 2026, 5:01 p.m
Heavy rains have triggered an unprecedented flood disaster in the Russian republic of Dagestan in the North Caucasus. A wall collapsed at a reservoir in the Derbent region.
A woman and her daughter were swept away by the floods and found dead late, authorities said. More than 4,000 people had to be brought to safety, according to the Russian Civil Defense Ministry. Around 2,000 houses were flooded. There are missing people. The Caspian Sea region is also popular with tourists.
Video: watson/nina bürge
There were also floods in the capital Makhachkala – the local news portal “Golos Dagestana” (in German: The Voice of Dagestan) reported that residential buildings there were in danger of collapsing. Videos on social networks showed entire buildings sinking into the floods. A bridge also collapsed on the “Kawkas” route, which is of strategic importance for the region.
State of emergency in many parts of Dagestan
The heavy rains have been troubling people in the North Caucasus since the end of March. The flooding, including of substations, led to power outages in many nearly twenty districts of Dagestan. The authorities of the republic declared a state of emergency in Makhachkala, Khasavyurt, Kaspiysk and the Derbent region, among others. More than 3,300 people were brought to safety from the flooded areas at the end of March. (hkl/sda/dpa)