VLADIKAVKAZ, Russia — The death toll from flooding in southern Russia climbed to at least 53, and rescue workers continued to evacuate residents from some of the worst areas Monday, an official said.
The rains began last Tuesday and have inundated several southern Russian regions, forcing an estimated 70,000 people to leave their homes.
Helicopters continued to rescue people stranded by floodwaters, which have washed away homes, roads and bridges and damaged power and telephone lines, said Viktor Beltsov, a spokesman for Russia's Emergency Situations Ministry..
The floods left about one-third of Dagestan's territory under water and destroyed or damaged 400 homes in the region, said Ali Talboyev, a spokesman for the Dagestan's emergency ministry.
Water levels in the hard-hit town of Kizlyar are going down, but rescue workers continue to evacuate people from the area. Three people are missing.
Shipments of Azerbaijani crude oil to the Russian Black Sea port of Novorossiisk have been suspended. The Russian portion of the Baku-Novorossiisk pipeline is almost completely under water, the Azerbaijani state oil company Socar said.
The federal government has sent planeloads of aid to southern Russia and ordered military units throughout the region to help out.
President Vladimir Putin also ordered a commission to be set up to help the region recover.