Flooding kills at least 9 in Ukraine's southern town

KIEV, June 8 (Xinhua) -- Flooding caused by the Kakhovka dam collapse killed at least nine people in the town of Oleshky in southern Ukraine, Mayor Yevhen Ryshchuk said Thursday.

An elderly woman holds a disabled relative as they are evacuated from a flooded neighbourhood in Kherson, Ukraine, Thursday, June 8, 2023. (Photo: AP)

So far nine people were confirmed dead, Ryshchuk was quoted as saying by the Interfax-Ukraine news agency.

"We believe that these are not the last victims of this flooding," Ryshchuk said.

Hundreds of people remained on rooftops of flooded houses waiting to be rescued, the official said.

The Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam was destroyed in the early hours of Tuesday, with Ukraine and Russia trading accusations over the attack.

Oleshky, which is located some 60 kilometers southwest of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant, is currently controlled by Russian forces, according to the report.