Confused Ukrainians flee floodwaters after dam burst

The barking of abandoned dogs added to the distress of those being carried to safety. A woman on a raft clutched the head of her distraught daughter. A broken-down military truck stuck in rising waters added to the panic as Red Cross teams struggled to arrange an orderly evacuation.

Ukrainian people run in panic from floodwaters after earthquake photo 1 — An emergency worker carries belongings of people evacuated from a flooded residential area in Kherson, Ukraine on June 6, 2023. Photo: AP

No one knows how high the water level will rise through a breach in the Kakhovka Dam, or whether people or livestock will escape alive.

The chaotic evacuation by boats and military trucks from an island neighborhood off the southern Ukrainian city of Kherson on Tuesday (June 6) was a testament to the latest chaos caused by Russia's offensive in Ukraine.

Ukrainian authorities accuse Russian forces of deliberately destroying the dam. Russian authorities blame recent Ukrainian military attacks.

“The Russians destroyed the dam without thinking about the consequences. They cannot be forgiven,” said Oleksandr Sokeryn, who fled his home with his family after it was completely flooded.

Officials on both sides said the massive dam collapse caused no civilian casualties.

In the early morning hours, before the floodwaters arrived, many residents tried to fight their way through. But as the water rose in the streets, reaching nearly to the top of bus stops or the second floors of buildings, national guard and emergency crews fanned out to rescue those trapped.

The UN says at least 16,000 people have been left homeless and efforts are underway to provide water, money and legal and moral support to those affected. Evacuations on the Ukrainian side of the river are taking people to cities including Mykolaiv and Odesa in the west.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said flooding from the dam breach was expected to “have serious and long-term consequences for the humanitarian situation in the region” such as mines and explosives being transported by water to new areas.

Mai Anh (according to CNA)

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