Moscow, 9 August 2002 (RFE/RL) -- Eighteen bodies were today found in southern Russia and six others are missing feared drowned in the Black Sea, following flash floods which destroyed several campsites near the city of Novorossiisk, where 23 houses were leveled and 90 more damaged by the floods. The Emergency Situations Ministry said that the floods were caused by torrential rains that engulfed campsites and inundated 15 towns. Over the past 24 hours, a month's worth of rain poured down on the region. The ministry says it has evacuated more than 1,000 people from along the Black Sea coast.
Storm warnings are still in force across the region.
Storm warnings are still in force across the region.