Azerbaijan, Baku, May 25 / Trend K. Zarbaliyeva /
Other 22 villagers of Imishli, Sabirabad and Saatly regions of Azerbaijan, located around the lake Sarisu were rescued, a statement posted on the website of the Ministry for Emergency Situations said.
As a result of break of a longshore dam on Lake Sarisu that occurred May 24, there was a threat of flooding of coastal areas. Residents of villages Gasimbayli, Muradbayli, Askerbayli and Ahtach in Sabirabad region; Novruzlu, Deller, Narimankand and Musali in Saatli region, as well as internally displaced people living in these territories, were evacuated, a statement posted on the website of the ministry said.
The population, refusing from the evacuation, faced with a serious danger due to the increased water level in the lake at night May 25. The State Water Rescue Service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations rescued 55 people by boats and helicopters.
Rescue operations, as well as work to restore damaged dam are being conducted.
Floods in 40 Azerbaijani regions have been recently registered. About 20,000 houses were flooded, more than 300 destroyed, 2,000 were in emergency condition, 50,000 hectares of cultivated land were under water as a result of the disaster.