Rescuers continue to work around the clock searching for victims in southern Ukraine after a dam collapse caused devastating floods that left at least 15 people dead and dozens more missing. The dam failed on Friday night due to heavy rainfall in the city of Krivyi Rih, unleashing a sudden torrent of water that swept away homes and vehicles and trapped people in the low-lying neighborhoods.
The floods cut off power and gas supplies to around 6,500 residents and damaged some 150 homes, according to local officials. Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy traveled to the area on Saturday to survey the disaster zone and meet with survivors and rescuers. "The situation with the floods is difficult. Fifteen people died, there are still more than 30 missing," Zelenskyy said during a televised briefing.
Rescuers with trained dogs are searching for potential survivors trapped in the debris. So far no one has been pulled alive from the wreckage, although hopes remain for those still unaccounted for. Many victims were sleeping at the time when the wall of the dam broke. Emergency workers and volunteers are working nonstop, but their efforts have been hampered by continuing rains.
"Today we saw so many coffins, funerals continue, sadness continues," said local resident Irina Buhrimova. "Many houses were simply washed away, people's lives passed before my eyes." Officials said the damage from the floods was comparable to that of the aftermath of combat operations during Russia's occupation of parts of the region earlier in the ongoing war.
Local governor Valentyn Reznichenko said that rebuilding the damaged infrastructure would require assistance from the national government and called the situation "critical." Ukraine's primary focus remains on repelling Russia's brutal invasion, now in its sixth month, but search and rescue operations continue to press on in southern Ukraine after one of the worst natural disasters in the country's recent history.
The floods serve as a devastating reminder that even while Ukrainians fight an enemy army, the forces of nature can strike hard and without warning. But Ukraine is showing its determination and resilience in the face of dual threats, both from human aggression and natural disasters. For now, rescuers will continue working around the clock in hopes of finding more survivors from the dam collapse in southern Ukraine.