Russian administration: 8 dead in occupied flooded areas in Ukraine

Eight people have died so far in the Russian-occupied parts of the Ukrainian region of Kherson following the destruction of the Kakhovka dam in the south of the country, according to the Russian administration.

"Unfortunately there are casualties, which is inevitable in a disaster of this scale," Moscow-appointed regional governor Vladimir Saldo said on Telegram on Friday.

Earlier figures from the Russian administration had put the death toll at five.

Huge amounts of water have been pouring out of the Kakhovka reservoir following the destruction of the dam early on Tuesday, flooding numerous communities in the region, large parts of which are occupied by Russia. The capital Kherson, which is under Ukrainian control, is also affected.

According to Saldo, some 5,800 people have been brought to safety in the Russian-controlled areas. Sixty-two people are being treated in hospital, he said.

Russia's Civil Defence Ministry meanwhile said another 1,543 have been rescued from the occupied territories, with 22,000 houses in 17 communities said to be flooded.

Saldo estimated the damage to the buildings at more than 1.5 billion roubles ($18 million).

It was not possible to independently verify the claims from the Russian-controlled territories, which Moscow occupied shortly after launching its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.