BRATSK /Irkutsk Region/, June 30. /TASS/: The damages inflicted on the agriculture in the flood-affected areas of the Russian region of Irkutsk amount approximately to 300 million rubles ($4.740 million), Deputy Minister of Agriculture Maxim Uvaidov said.
"The overall damage is evaluated to be around 300 million rubles ($4.740 million - TASS)," he told the meeting convened by Russian President Vladimir Putin on the flood situation in the Irkutsk Region.
According to the Deputy Minister, farmers will be able to receive reimbursements and compensations after all the losses and destruction are accounted for when the water subsides. "We will do it as fast as possible. We have such an experience [from dealing] with the Zabaykalsky Region [situation]. We will transfer the money to the agriculture workers through the government’s decree," Uvaidov pledged.
The official told Putin that 30 farm households and agriculture organizations are in the flooded zone in five municipal districts, more than 5,000 heads of cattle are in the flooded zones. According to the preliminary assessments of the Agriculture Ministry, 140 heads have possibly died, so far the 45 deaths have been confirmed, as well as the deaths of 42 horses and 56 pigs.
"The [total] crop acres in the flood-affected areas is 24,000 hectares, around 6,000 of them have been flooded. <…> 767 tonnes of crops have been lost," he added.
According to the data of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, 353 people were injured in the emergency in the Irkutsk Region, while 97 of them were hospitalized. Heavy rains have caused the powerful flooding in the Irkutsk region. 4,042 residential buildings where 9,919 people live were flooded, as well as 41 other facilities of social importance.
