Melting snow floods south Russia

ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia -- Parts of southern Russia have suffered their worst flooding in 50 years as winter snowfalls melted leaving hundreds of villagers homeless.

More than 1,500 residents were evacuated from their homes late Wednesday after snowfalls as deep as five feet began to melt.

About 820 buildings were under water in several villages along the Kuban River in the Krasnodar area.

Waters rose by as much 2.5 metres (8 feet) -- two feet above the critical point.

The army was called in an effort to break up packs of ice to help the flow of water and distribute the build-up of water.

Explosives were used to blow up an ice cap on an estuary along the river to aid the flow of water into the Sea of Azov.

Military helicopters were monitoring the situation,Oleg Grekov, spokesman for the southern district office of the Emergency Situations Ministry said on Thursday.

Some districts have been left without electricity.