GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Heavy flooding and a lack of preparedness are taking a toll in southern Russia, which has been declared a disaster area by President Vladimir Putin, who declared Monday a national day of mourning. At least 170 people have died and more than 100 were hospitalized when a deluge hit the Krasnodar region near the Black Sea. Putin has said the huge floods, which have left some 5,000 people homeless, were not due to technical problems, such as a dam breaking, but angry critics are calling for an investigation into why people were not warned.
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