Russia declares emergency in Dagestan's capital as floods cut power to more than 327,000 people

Region head says conditions exceeded even most pessimistic forecasts despite preparations

Emergency specialists evacuate residents from a flooded district in the city of Makhachkala in the Caucasus region of Dagestan, Russia, in this picture released Mar 28, 2026. Emergency Ministry of Russia/Handout via REUTERS

Authorities in the capital of the southern Russian region of Dagestan declared a state of emergency on Saturday after heavy rainfall led to widespread flooding and power cuts in the region.

"Emergency services have been placed on high alert, efforts are under way to deal with the aftermath, and assistance will be provided to affected residents," the Makhachkala city administration said on Telegram.

More than 327,000 people remain without power in Dagestan due to bad weather, the regional ministry of emergency situations said.

"As of 12:00 (Moscow time, 0900 GMT), 283 settlements with a population of 327,183 people, including 89,705 children, remain without electricity," the ministry said on its website.

The region's head Sergei Melikov said that the emergency services and officials had been preparing for worsening weather conditions, but the actual situation "exceeded even the most pessimistic forecasts".

Officials in Dagestan's second-largest city of Khasavyurt said a railway bridge had been damaged due to heavy rainfall.

"Two spans of the bridge collapsed on the Khasavyurt–Kadiyurt section of the North Caucasus Railway," Dagestan's government press service said.

The heavy rain in the region is set to continue until Sunday, according to forecasts.