The prediction came after UN aid chief Martin Griffiths told the security council on Tuesday night that the dam breach “will have grave and far-reaching consequences for thousands of people in southern Ukraine on both sides of the front line through the loss of homes, food, safe water and livelihoods”.
“The sheer magnitude of the catastrophe will only become fully realized in the coming days,” The Guardian quoted him as saying.
Later on Wednesday, authorities declared a state of emergency in the Kherson Region due to the collapse of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant’s dam, emergency services told TASS on Wednesday.
"A state of emergency is now in effect in the Kherson Region," the source said.
Earlier, a state of emergency was declared in the Novaya Kakhovka district.
Ukraine and Russia accused each other on Tuesday of blowing up the Soviet-era Nova Kakhovka dam in part of Ukraine's Kherson region controlled by Russian forces unleashing a wall of floodwater.
At least seven people are missing after dam blast, TASS cited the Moscow-installed mayor of the city of Nova Kakhovka as saying on Wednesday.
No flood-related deaths have been reported, but US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said the flooding had probably caused “many deaths”.
MP/PR