Kyiv [Ukraine], June 19 : Infected waters from a breached dam poured downstream, closing beaches in the Odesa area of southern Ukraine and creating a "genuine threat" to locals, reported CNN.
The villages which are collapsed are facing flooded farmlands and no power and clean water supplies to tens of thousands of people.
The dam collapse has affected Odesa's coastline, turning it into a "garbage dump" , according to Ukrainian authorities.
"The beaches of Odesa have been declared unsuitable for swimming due to a significant aggravation in the condition of water in open water areas (sea, estuary) and a genuine threat to the health of the city residents," the Odesa municipality said in a Telegram post Sunday, according to CNN.
Before Russia invaded, Ukrainian and foreign vacationers enjoyed the stretch of sandy beaches and resorts near Odesa. Since mines have continued to wash up on the beachfront in recent months, swimmers have mainly stopped visiting the beaches.
At least 16 people are dead and 31 are missing in flooding from the Nova Kakhovka dam collapse, Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs said on Saturday, CNN reported.
The dam in southern Ukraine, collapsed on June 6, destroying villages, flooding farmland and cutting power and clean water supplies to tens of thousands of people.
It is unclear if the dam was deliberately targeted or whether structural failure was behind its collapse.
According to Kyiv, Russia blew up the dam "in panic" ahead of a planned Ukraine counter-offensive, while Russia accuses Ukraine of launching "mass artillery attacks" on the structure to deprive Crimea of water and provide a distraction from the battlefield.
Ukraine's interior ministry on Saturday said 3,614 people had been evacuated from the flooded areas "including 474 children and 80 people with reduced mobility." It added that 1,300 houses remained flooded in the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.
Disclaimer: This post has been auto-published from an agency feed without any modifications to the text and has not been reviewed by an editor