Natural catastrophe in Minsk: many streets flooded (Photo, video)

A heavy shower took place in the capital of Belarus on July 24: many streets and metro stations appeared under the water, hundreds of cars “sank”, people were evacuated.

In Minsk Nyamiha Street was flooded again, as well as districts of Zakharau, Kamarouski market, Kirau Street, Chyrvonaarmejskaya, Pershamajskaya, part of Gazeta “Zvyazda” avenue and other parts of the city.

Moreover, this time there was not only rain, but also hail with hailstones up to 5 centimeters.

There were traffic jams in the roads. As the www.charter97.org was informed by readers, Kamarouski market was flooded, and the level of water reached stall’s counters. As eyewitnesses said, “Evroopt” shop was flooded. Dozens of cars sank in that area.

Alert state was announced for officers of the Emergency situations ministry. Rescuers pumped water from the parts of the city with much water, evacuated citizens from public transport, submerged shops and Kamarouski market.

Water soaked into the metro. From 3.20 p.m. till 3.35 p.m. “Uskhod” metro station was closed, while “Park Chelouskintsev” was closed from 3.37 p.m. till 4 p.m. Trains passed them without stopping. At 4.20 p.m. traffic in the metro was resumed as usual.

Observers say that underground waters damaged the roadbed in the traffic area of Chyhunachnaya Street in the direction of the railway station. A KAMAZ truck fell into a rain channel.

Officers of emergency situations ministry of Minsk rescued and evacuated more than 300 persons from flooded basements and ground floors of buildings, from public transport.

The outcome of the rainstorm in Minsk would be less if storm-water system could collect all water in problem parts of the city. The problem of storm overflow is faced by Minsk every year, and officials speak about it every time after heavy rains, and then forget about it.

The Republican meteorological office states that climate changes, increase of the rainstorm, needs reconstruction of storm-water system in problematic parts of Minsk.

The network of storm water transport system was built in Minsk in 1960-1970ies. There are 7 main collector systems in Minsk: “Centre”, “Drazhnya”, “Slyapyanka”, “Kamarouski”, “Zakhad”, “Paudnyovy Zakhad”, “Nyamiha”.

Eyewitnesses place their photoreports of the disaster in Minsk on the web:

Photo by Radio Svaboda