Landslide crisis intensifies in Dagestan with widespread damage in Dakhadayevsky and Levashinsky districts, Russia
Multiple landslides struck mountainous districts of Dagestan, Russia, between April 12 and 16, 2026, destroying at least 17 homes, damaging dozens more, and forcing the evacuation of 178 residents in Dakhadayevsky district, while a separate very large landslide in Levashinsky district raised concerns over potential localized flooding. The events occurred amid an ongoing regional emergency driven by prolonged rainfall since late March.
Satellite image of landslides affected area in Dagestan, Russia acquired on April 15, 2026. Credit: CopernicusEU/Sentinel-2, The Watchers
A sequence of landslides affected multiple mountainous districts of Dagestan, Russia, between April 12 and 16, as prolonged rainfall continued to destabilize slopes across the region.
The most severe impacts were reported in Dakhadayevsky district, where a landslide in the Vyakni microdistrict of Urkarakh village began on April 12 and has continued to move. According to district authorities cited by Caucasian Knot, 17 residential buildings were completely destroyed, and 87 more were partially damaged. A total of 178 residents were evacuated and are currently staying with relatives.
Roads, including sections of national importance, were affected, transport links with several settlements were disrupted, and bridges were reported destroyed. In Urkarakh, the main water pipeline was damaged, threatening the water supply, with water delivery being carried out using tanker trucks.
Local officials reported that the landslide zone remains active, with ongoing soil movement and deformation of road surfaces.
Additionally, a seismic monitoring station in Urkarakh is recording continuous ground movement, indicating that slope instability persists and that further displacement remains possible.
Separately, a large landslide occurred in the mountain village of Nizhnie Ubekimakhi in the Levashinsky district on or around April 16. Locals are describing the slide as several kilometers long.
Preliminary reports indicate that part of the displaced material may have reached a local river channel, creating a potential risk of localized flooding in downstream areas. According to the Telegram channel Baza, up to seven households may be within the hazard zone, although no authoritative assessment of damage or landslide size has been released.
The two affected districts are located approximately 35-45 km (22-28 miles) apart, suggesting that slope instability is occurring across a broad section of Dagestan’s mountainous terrain rather than as an isolated event.
Dagestan has been experiencing a prolonged period of heavy rainfall since late March 2026, which has led to widespread flooding, landslides, and infrastructure disruption across multiple regions. A regional emergency status was introduced earlier in April as impacts increased.
The current sequence of landslides follows severe flooding that affected Dagestan earlier in April 2026, when at least six people were killed, more than 6 000 homes were inundated, and approximately 1.5 million people were impacted across the republic.
References:
1 178 people were evacuated due to landslides in a mountainous region of Dagestan – Caucasian Knot – April 16, 2026
2 Километровый оползень сошёл в реку в Дагестане — есть риск подтопления – Life.ru – April 16, 2026
I'm a dedicated researcher, journalist, and editor at The Watchers. With over 20 years of experience in the media industry, I specialize in hard science news, focusing on extreme weather, seismic and volcanic activity, space weather, and astronomy, including near-Earth objects and planetary defense strategies. You can reach me at teo /at/ watchers.news.
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