Ukraine: 22 Killed, 20,000 Evacuated As Storms Cause Floods
KIEV (AFP)--Storms and floods in western Ukraine have killed 22 people, including six children, and forced the evacuation of 20,000 others, the government said Monday.
Fifteen people were killed in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in southwest Ukraine while seven people were killed in the Chernivtsy region, the emergency situations ministry said in a statement.
Rescuers have also evacuated more than 19,800 people from their homes because of the severe storms and floods that have also hit northeastern Romania, the ministry said.
More than 40,000 houses and 34,000 hectares of farmland remained partially flooded Monday, while more than 900 bridges and hundreds of kilometers of roads were damaged. One hundred villages were without electricity, the ministry said.
Earlier reports pegged 85% of the Ukraine rapeseed harvest already completed and approximately 50% of the grain harvest done. It is unclear at this stage what the impact of the floods might be on eventually grain output but it seems minimal.
According to USDA data the Ivano-Frankivsk region is responsible for only 2% of national wheat output, with the Chernivtsy region accounting for just 3% of total production. As these regions are in the south of the country it seems likely that much if not all of the harvest would already have been completed before now.
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Fifteen people were killed in the Ivano-Frankivsk region in southwest Ukraine while seven people were killed in the Chernivtsy region, the emergency situations ministry said in a statement.
Rescuers have also evacuated more than 19,800 people from their homes because of the severe storms and floods that have also hit northeastern Romania, the ministry said.
More than 40,000 houses and 34,000 hectares of farmland remained partially flooded Monday, while more than 900 bridges and hundreds of kilometers of roads were damaged. One hundred villages were without electricity, the ministry said.
Earlier reports pegged 85% of the Ukraine rapeseed harvest already completed and approximately 50% of the grain harvest done. It is unclear at this stage what the impact of the floods might be on eventually grain output but it seems minimal.
According to USDA data the Ivano-Frankivsk region is responsible for only 2% of national wheat output, with the Chernivtsy region accounting for just 3% of total production. As these regions are in the south of the country it seems likely that much if not all of the harvest would already have been completed before now.
Video link here