More than 50,000 people affected by floods in Russia

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Aug. 23 (UPI) -- More than 50,000 people have been affected by floods in Russia's Far East, officials said Friday.

Forecasters have predicted the flooded Amur River will not start to recede until late September or early October and will likely cause more damage, RIA Novosti reported.

So far, more than 2,000 houses in the Amur region have been destroyed by the floods, the Far East Development Ministry said Friday. About 20,000 people have been evacuated from the flood zones but hundreds have refused to leave their homes.

Sergei Nazarov, deputy minister of regional development, said earlier this week $97 million has been allocated for those affected.