More than 4,000 people were evacuated from a flooded zone after a dam broke in Russia’s Orenburg region in the Urals.
“4,208 people, including 1,019 children, were evacuated,” the press service of regional governor Dennis Pasler announced on Telegram.
In total, more than 2,500 houses have been “flooded” in this region, which borders Kazakhstan. More than 11,000 households are at risk, while more than 2,500 houses have been “flooded”.
The sudden melting of the snow increased the level in the river, according to local media. Indicatively, 2.5 thousand cubic meters of liquid per second turned into a raging torrent as the Iriklinsky reservoir overflowed.
Those who evacuated the area were transferred “to temporary accommodation centers”, while the payment of emergency financial aid was announced.
The major floods occurred the day after a dam burst in Orsk, a city on the border with Kazakhstan, the regional prosecutor’s office explained.
According to this source, “a warning” was given to the Orsk municipality in March, in relation to “violation of the legislation on the protection of the population and territories against natural emergencies and those of human origin”.
In Russia Orenburg dam burst in Urals mountains in city of Orsk, leaving ca 10 000 people in zone of potential flooding. pic.twitter.com/mRfZJ7z25L
— Jaanika Merilo (@jaanikamerilo) April 5, 2024
According to regional authorities, the dam, which has partially collapsed, is officially designed for a Ural River level of 5.5 meters compared to the current 9.6 meters.
The regional authorities, for their part, cited the melting of snow that led to “the rise” of water levels in the wider region, including in the Urals, as an additional “reason” for the floods.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Management has released a video of the evacuation operation, showing water flooding the houses.
In the same video, rescuers are recorded, among other things, removing elderly people from their flooded homes.
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