Scores killed in Russia flooding

By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 11:25 AM EDT, Sat July 7, 2012

Flash floods from heavy rain in the Krasnodar Krai region in southern Russia have killed dozens of people.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
• NEW: At least 103 people have died in the flooding, government officials say
• Police find more bodies as flood waters recede in the Krymsk district
• Floodwaters rose sharply and inundated homes as people slept, reports say
• Flash flooding has been caused by heavy rains in the Krasnodar region

Moscow (CNN) -- At least 103 people have died as floodwaters surge through southern Russia's Krasnodar region, Russia's Interior Ministry said Saturday.

Of those killed, 92 are in the Krymsk district, nine in Gelendzhik district and two in the Black Sea port of Novorossiisk, the ministry said.

The flash floods follow heavy rains in the area since Friday.

The Krymsk district is a mostly rural area with many one-storey homes, Russia's state news agency Itar-Tass reported.

Flood waters rose 7 meters (23 feet) overnight in Krymsk, the news agency said, flooding homes while most people were still asleep. Others were rescued by police after seeking refuge on roofs and in trees, it said.

The death toll has climbed steadily through the day as the waters have gradually subsided, allowing police to find more bodies in flooded buildings in Krymsk.

Television footage from the Krasnodar region showed scenes of flooded streets, stranded vehicles and people wading through torrents of knee-deep muddy water outside homes.

The state-run Ria Novosti news agency said dozens of passenger trains have been diverted in the region as the water level remains 19 inches above the tracks.

Krasnodar also suffered deadly flooding in October 2010, when torrential rains in mountainous areas caused rivers to overflow, flooding villages nearby.

CNN's Arkady Irshenko contributed to this report.