Officials are trying to justify the collapse caused by the aftermath of heavy rainfall

All necessary measures are being taken to promptly address the negative effects of the torrential rains in Baku and the Absheron Peninsula, according to a joint statement from the Ministry of Ecology, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Executive Authority of Baku, and the State Agency for Water Resources of Azerbaijan. The statement notes that a “record amount of precipitation” was recorded, reaching 306% of the monthly norm within a day.

City services and emergency responders have been mobilized to pump out water and evacuate citizens in need of assistance. The Executive Authority of Baku conducted monitoring to identify problem areas in flooded regions, particularly at bridges, tunnels, and underground crossings. An inventory of the rainwater collection network and catchment areas on the boulevards and streets is currently underway, along with measures to prevent similar incidents in the future, the statement  reads.

Teams from the Unified Water Supply Service for major cities are working to clean rainwater and sewage collectors, divert accumulated water from affected areas, and mitigate the consequences of the rainfall, according to the document.