Flooding sparked by heavy rains killed three people in southern Russia, the emergencies ministry said Monday, adding that 4,000 people had been evacuated with search and rescue efforts ongoing. Social media videos showed flooded villages and highways engulfed by water in Russia's Dagestan republic in the Caucasus mountains, with overturned cars lying on the roadside.
A multi-storey apartment house partly collapsed in the regional capital Makhachkala.
"Water levels rose after heavy rain, leading to further flooding of streets and residential areas," the ministry said.
"Unfortunately, two people were killed, including one child," as water inundated a highway, overturning two cars, according to the emergencies ministry.
Another person died in a landslide, it said. Some water filtration plants in the region had to be stopped due to power cuts, said the local authorities.
Thousands of rescuers were continuing work as further heavy downpours were expected, the ministry said.
Dagestan was hit with a previous major flood just last week that had triggered widespread power cuts and forced authorities to announce a regional state of emergency.
