MOSCOW, April 4 (AVN) - The Russian Ministries of Defence and Emergency Situations have failed to break an almost 17km ice block on the Bia River in south-western Siberia, a spokesman for the Emergencies Ministry said on Wednesday.
The block emerged near the Ulyatskoye village in the Altai territory, the spokesman told the Military News Agency. Due to it, the water level in the river rose almost 6m, and 83 residential houses in the village were flooded.
The Emergencies Ministry has evacuated about 200 people and 857 head of cattle from Usyatskoye. Two more tons of explosives will be transported to the village to continue battling the block. Besides, two MI-24 Hind helicopters of the army aviation have arrived in the area to strike the block with FAB-250 demolition bombs.