MOSCOW, October 1. /TASS/. Odessa Mayor Gennady Trukhanov reported that due to heavy rainfall, more than 250 private homes and over 350 apartment buildings have been flooded in the city, with damage to roads and utility networks.
"According to preliminary data, 286 private homes and 384 apartment buildings have been flooded across all districts of Odessa. The Kiev district was hit the hardest, with 185 private houses and 200 multi-story buildings affected. Roads and utility networks have sustained significant damage," he wrote on his Telegram channel.
Trukhanov stated that the operational headquarters of the district administrations have received 782 complaints from Odessa residents regarding flooding, fallen trees, power outages, and property damage. "Damage assessment and cleanup efforts following the severe weather are ongoing," the mayor added.
On Tuesday night, Odessa received two months’ worth of precipitation in just seven hours. The Ukrainian state emergency service reported that nine people, including one child, died due to the heavy downpour. The agency later clarified that among the deceased was a family of five who lived in a ground-floor apartment and were trapped by a wave of floodwater that prevented their escape. The flooding also caused the shutdown of two sewage pumping stations, leading to power outages in several areas. Many city streets were submerged.
Today, Ukrainian Minister for Communities and Territories Development Alexey Kuleba announced that a state commission on technogenic safety and emergencies will investigate the situation. As stated by Verkhovna Rada deputy Artem Dmitruk, who left the country due to political persecution, the Odessa city authorities have for years neglected to repair and reconstruct the sewage and storm drain systems.