At least nine dead in severe weather in Ukraine's Odesa as war rumbles on

"More than 350 people have been rescued after the southern Ukrainian city was hit by two months of rain in just seven hours. At least nine people, including one child, have been killed after a severe rainstorm and flooding in the southern Ukrainian city of Odesa, according to the country's emergency services. A total of 362 others have been rescued so far as workers evacuated trapped people and pumped water out of buildings, Ukraine's State Emergency Service said on Wednesday."

"Gennadiy Trukhanov, the mayor of Odesa, who said the situation was difficult but under control, wrote that almost two months of rain had fallen in the city in just seven hours. No storm sewer system can withstand such a load, the mayor said on Telegram, noting that rescue efforts were continuing without a break. More bad weather is forecast for Thursday, potentially adding to the challenges faced by Ukrainian first responders, three-and-a-half years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion."

"Meanwhile, an overnight Russian attack on the northeast Ukrainian city of Kharkiv injured six people, including a policeman, and started several fires, according to the national police. Five of the six people were taken to hospital for treatment, said Oleh Syniehubov, the governor of Kharkiv region. Videos and photos from the scene showed firefighters attempting to extinguish flames that appeared to be ripping through market stalls."

Odesa experienced catastrophic flooding after nearly two months' worth of rain fell in seven hours, killing at least nine people, including a child. Emergency workers rescued 362 people, evacuated those trapped, and pumped water from buildings, recovering a missing girl and removing people from a flooded bus. Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov said no storm sewer system could withstand such a load and that rescue operations continued around the clock. More bad weather is forecast, which could hinder response efforts. Separately, a man died in Kherson after a Russian attack, an overnight strike on Kharkiv injured six and sparked market fires, and an oil refinery in Yaroslavl, Russia, caught fire.

Read at www.aljazeera.com