A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson voiced deep concern over the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant dam in southern Ukraine, worrying about its humanitarian, economic and ecological consequences.

Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson, called on all parties to the conflict to abide by international humanitarian law and do their utmost to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.

He added that China's position on the Ukraine crisis is consistent and clear. "Under the current circumstances, we hope that all parties can commit to the political settlement of the crisis and work together to ease the situation," Wang said.

Chinese envoy voices concern over destruction of Ukrainian dam

The huge Soviet-era dam on the Dnipro River that separates Russian and Ukrainian forces in southern Ukraine was breached on Tuesday. Russia has controlled the dam since early in the Ukraine conflict, although Ukrainian forces recaptured the northern side of the river last year.

The dam supplies water to a wide area of southern Ukrainian farmland, including the Crimean Peninsula, as well as cooling the Russian-held Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant. A dam burst could flood settlements below it and potentially wreck the canal system that irrigates much of southern Ukraine.

Following the dam burst, Russia and Ukraine have accused each other of destroying it.

What we know about the Kakhovka dam breach

The Geneva Conventions ban targeting dams in war because of the danger to civilians.

UN aid chief Martin Griffiths on Tuesday warned of "grave and far-reaching consequences" of the destruction of the huge dam, saying thousands of people on both sides of the front line are at risk of losing homes, food, safe water and livelihoods.

Satellite images taken on Tuesday afternoon by Maxar Technologies showed houses and other buildings submerged, many with only their roofs showing.

Maxar said the images of more than 2,500 square km between Nova Kakhovka and the Dniprovska Gulf, southwest of Kherson city on the Black Sea, showed numerous towns and villages flooded.

Ukrainian officials estimated about 42,000 people were at risk from the flooding, which is expected to peak on Wednesday.

As for the impacts on the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, said there was no immediate nuclear safety risk at the plant and it should have enough water to cool its reactors for "some months" from a separate pond.

(With input from Reuters)