Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with the Cabinet of Ministers and the leadership to discuss the critical situation in the North Caucasus region. The republic has experienced floods unprecedented in decades, which have seriously disrupted the lives of residents.

Due to the massive floods in Dagestan, a regional state of emergency has been declared. This status is expected to soon be upgraded to a nationwide one. This announcement was made by Alexander Kurenkov, head of the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations, during the meeting. He explained the cause of the abnormal rainfall in Dagestan. According to him, the rain flow formed over the Sea of ​​Azov, not the Black Sea, and then passed through the mountains.

Vladimir Putin described the weather conditions in Dagestan as abnormal. He emphasized the need to provide comprehensive assistance to the victims and expressed confidence in the availability of sufficient resources to overcome the consequences of the disaster.

Since the onset of the disaster, six people have died in the republic, although approximately 200 have been rescued. Fifty-five temporary shelters with a capacity of 1,800 beds have been established to accommodate displaced persons, where 700 people have already found shelter. Dagestan Head Sergei Melikov clarified that the remaining citizens who lost their homes are temporarily staying with relatives.

According to preliminary data, over 6,000 homes were damaged, including apartment buildings in Makhachkala, Buynaksk, and Derbent. Additionally, 842 socially significant facilities were damaged, and power outages were reported in 564 settlements. Gas service was disrupted in 7,000 households.

The President announced the creation of a "special government commission to eliminate the consequences of the floods in the Republic of Dagestan," headed by the Minister of Emergency Situations of the Russian Federation. It will include representatives of federal and regional government agencies.

Citing a report by Dagestan Head Sergei Melikov, Putin also announced that "the republic's leadership has created 51 working groups to assess damage. These are the people who will directly address damage assessment issues with the affected families."

"This work must be focused on one objective: providing prompt assistance to people," he instructed his subordinates.