The federal highway R-225 ‘Siberia’ in Irkutsk region was reopened on Friday after flooding, as seen in footage filmed near the town of Tulun. The highway was closed on July 30 after the Iya River burst its banks and water covered the road. The local branch of Russia’s Ministry of Emergency Situations (EMERCOM) announced the evacuation of residents from the Tulun district due to flood threat on July 28. Flooding in the Irkutsk region started in the end of June and prompted the authorities to declare a state of emergency for the whole territory. According to EMERCOM, around 11,000 homes and over 30,000 people from 109 settlements were affected by the floods. At least 25 people were killed in the torrential downpour, while seven more people remain missing.
