About two hundred residents of Kramatorsk, in the east of Ukraine, are suffering the consequences of a broken spillway gate of one of the city’s ponds.
Ponds on the Bychok River spilled over onto the streets, affecting the nearby Donetsk town. The surrounding villages were also impacted and are now cleaning up the aftermath.
The water flooded dozens of homes, destroying everything in its path. Locals are trying to restore order to their homes as best they can – like Tetiana.
She says: “There is mud everywhere… everything [is ruined]. Appliances, furniture, clothes. [There is] dirt everywhere. I can’t tell you how much.”
Residents evacuated
Some people from the flooded houses were provided with accommodation in Kramatorsk’s school. One of them is Nadiia Bereza from Ivanivka.
“Of course, we are worried. Now they are saying the water has subsided,” she says. “We want to go home, we will go home. Everything in the house is there, there was a lot of water. Everything was floating. I have animals, I`m worried about them.”
According to Pavlo Kyrylenko, head of the Donetsk regional military administration, the coastline at the site of the breakthrough has been reinforced and the river has returned to its normal route.
Barriers will be installed at the damaged lock to try to prevent future spillages. The extent of damage and destruction is still being determined, and flooded houses are being inspected.
Residents have been promised compensation from the local budget and assistance with construction materials to rebuild their damaged homes.
