Belarus hit by flood and hurricane: Six dead in weather chaos

A few days ago, a hurricane devastated southern Belarus. Six people, including two children, lost their lives. Now Minsk has been struck by a flood caused by heavy rains. Traffic in the city has come to a standstill.

Belarusian media report that on Thursday (18 July), the streets of Minsk turned into rushing streams. Photos published online by the Belarusian agency BelTA clearly show the scale of the destruction.

Many buildings and properties have been flooded. Drivers could not get out of their cars, and authorities have appealed for people to stay at home. For almost two hours, passengers were trapped in trams that were standing in water. Due to the downpour, city bus traffic was suspended.

According to ministry data cited by BelTA, 38 streets were flooded. The worst situation is at the Park Chelyuskintsev metro station, which was closed immediately after water entered.

Belarusian politician Franak Viačorka reported on the dire weather situation facing Belarusians on social media. "The south of Belarus is still grappling with the aftermath of last week’s storm – around 300 towns and villages are still experiencing power outages. Now Minsk is flooded," he wrote.

As a result of the hurricane that raged over Belarus on Sunday, six people, including two children, lost their lives.

In Mogilev, in the east of the country, a five-year-old girl was crushed by a tree. In Rechytsa in the Gomel region, a 13-year-old boy who was at a summer camp died. An online video shows how powerful winds begin to topple trees onto a square where children are playing. A dozen or so people were injured nationwide due to the hurricane.

The weather catastrophe most severely impacted areas in the south and east of Belarus, but the capital also suffered.

Due to weather anomalies and strong gusty winds, more than 2,000 towns and villages were left without power. The wind uprooted trees and tore off house roofs. Many cities in the south of the country still have no power.