Russia's Putin orders inquiry into deadly floods

A car submerged in a flooded street in the village of Novoukrainsk, near the southern Russian town of Krymsk, July 7, 2012. (Photo:Reuters)

Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered investigators to find out if enough was done to prevent 144 people being killed in floods in southern Russia after flying to the region to deal with the first big disaster of his new presidency.

Putin, who was criticised for his slow reaction to disasters earlier in his career, said after visiting the flood zone late on Saturday that money would be put aside for building new homes for victims of the worst flooding in decades in Krasnodar, a relatively rich region with agriculture and tourism industries.