The region of Kherson in Ukraine was hit by a devastating flood after the Kakhovka dam, controlled by Russia, was breached on Tuesday.

According to the Moscow-backed administration of Nova Kakhovka, five people have been killed and 41 have been hospitalized as a result of the disaster.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky visited the affected area on Thursday and thanked the rescuers and volunteers for their work. He also posted videos of the evacuation efforts and the flooded villages on social media.

The flood has submerged 600 square kilometers of land, 68 percent of which is in Russian-controlled territory.

Ukraine and Russia have blamed each other for causing the breach and have exchanged fire in the region.

Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes and some are still trapped in their buildings.

The water level has reached two Storeys high in some places and has also affected the neighboring Mykolaiv region.