By John Crowfoot

This piece from Moskovsky komsomolets that I have translated and edited gives a good idea of what is happening in Krymsk in the aftermath of the tragic flooding. It tells how volunteers have organised themselves from all over the country (Moscow, Novosibirsk, Makhachkala) and gone to help in various ways:

"As Volunteers Count the Dead They Also Help Civil Society Find a Voice"

Alyona Popova gives Moskovsky komsomolets her assessment of the situation in Krymsk following the tragic flood that swept through the town late on Friday night, 6-7 July. Popova took part in the Honest Elections rallies in Moscow; now she heads a team of Moscow volunteers in the disaster area around the southern Russian town.

One of the issues that most concerns people in Krymsk is to find out exactly how many people died. The Ministry of Emergency Situations is constantly searching the outer limits of the town (pop. 57,000). Yet there has been no change in the official figure issued by a spokesman of the ministry at the beginning of this week. [Read more]