Death toll from Kazakhstan flood rises to 40

The death toll from last week's flood in southern Kazakhstan has risen to 40 after three more bodies were discovered, local authorities said Wednesday.

The new victims were two adults and a 12-year-old boy. Besides, five people were still missing after a dam burst in the village of Kyzyl-Agash in the eastern Almaty region, pouring torrents of water into several nearby villages and affecting about 3,000 people last Thursday.

Southern Kazakhstan was frequently affected by heavy snowfalls and melting snow this winter. Rising temperatures are now causing massive flooding and mudslides across the region.

Kazakhstan's Prime Minister Karim Masimov called on each state in the country to provide 50 million tenges (about 340,000 U.S. dollars) to the Almaty region for relief efforts.

State-owned enterprises and the Kazakh government have also been collecting money for the area.

Source: Xinhua