Thirteen dead and thousands displaced in Ukraine flooding

Thirteen people, including five children, died after severe storms hit western Ukraine and flooding forced thousands to abandon their homes, the government said on Sunday.

Around 6,700 people were evacuated after 21,000 homes were flooded in regions close to the border with Romania, the emergency situations ministry said in a statement.

Three hundred towns and villages have lost electricity and about 400 bridges have been damaged, the statement said.

President Viktor Yushchenko arrived in the region on Sunday to assess the damage, his press service said. Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko was also expected to travel there, Interfax news agency reported.

Seven of the dead were in the Ivano-Frankivsk region, and the other six in the Chernivtsy region, the ministry said.

Two other people were missing, according to the ministry, which predicted weather conditions would improve on Sunday.

Two victims were killed when they were struck by lightning and a third in a landslide, the ministry said in an earlier statement.