In North Ossetia, rescuers begin evacuating villagers blocked by natural disaster

Rescue teams from the Ministry for Emergencies (MfE) for North Ossetia are engaged in evacuation of more than 40 people from the village of Verkhny Biragzang, including local residents and tourists. A temporary passage was built for the evacuation of people, the MfE for North Ossetia reports.

Tonight, in the Alagir District, heavy rains raised the water level in the SuadagdonRiver, and as a result, a gas pipeline was broken through. Residents of three villages were deprived of gas supply. In the village of Verkhny Biragzang, a bridge over the TsakhsadykRiver was washed away. The MfE's Southern Regional Centre reported that the village of Verkhny Biragzang was cut off from other villages by high water.

At 4:30 a.m. Moscow time, the rescue teams started to evacuate residents of the Verkhny Biragzang and tourists from the tourist camp "Hot Springs" blocked because of the bridge destruction. For that purpose, the rescuers have built a temporary passage, through which more than 40 people are to be evacuated, the "Interfax" reports with reference to a source from the MfE for North Ossetia.

"The rescuers have arranged an air passage to transport tourists to the 'big land'," reports the source from the MfE for North Ossetia as quoted by the RIA "Novosti".

Full text of the article is available on the Russian page of 24/7 Internet agency ‘Caucasian Knot’.