At least 46 people have been killed in severe storms in southern Russia, Interfax news agency reported Saturday, citing local officials.
Around 41 residents of Krasnodar, some 1,200 kilometres south of Moscow, were drowned by flood waters, while another 5 people were electrocuted after lightning hit a power transformer, DPA reported.
Nearly 24 hours of continuous heavy rains flooded about 320 homes and left 22,000 people without electricity, while railways and roads were washed away or made impassable by mud.
The floodwater had caught many people by surprise during the night, an emergency services spokesman said.