Evacuations Underway in Russia Due to Dam Burst and Flooding
MOSCOW — A state of emergency has been declared in a region of south-western Russia as thousands are being evacuated due to floods exacerbated by a dam burst in Orsk city.
Heavy earth-moving machinery is currently on site, working to reinforce the dam and prevent further damage.
Authorities had previously declared an emergency across the entire Orenburg region as water levels in the Ural River reached dangerous levels due to melting ice.
Officials estimate that up to 10,000 residents may be at risk in the flooding area, with as many as 4,000 homes facing potential inundation.
“Efforts to address the dam rupture in Orsk are ongoing,” stated the Russian Emergencies Ministry, noting that approximately 440 individuals and 217 pieces of equipment are involved in the operation.
Reports from Russian state media indicate that over 700 residents from two of Orsk’s three districts are currently being evacuated, along with thousands more from surrounding areas.
“Residents of the Leninsky and Sovetsky districts of Orsk are being relocated to temporary shelters,” announced the regional prosecutor’s office.
While three individuals were found deceased in the flood zone, emergency officials have stated that their deaths are not directly linked to the flooding.
Orsk Mayor Vasily Kozupitsa described the situation as rapidly deteriorating, with half of the city’s old town already underwater and the remainder at risk of being isolated from the rest of the city.
Local emergency services are actively working to mitigate the flooding in Orsk, located approximately 1,800km (1,100 miles) southeast of Moscow.
The city, with a population of around 230,000, is relocating evacuees to nearby schools for temporary shelter.
Unverified footage circulating on the Telegram messenger app shows water breaching an earthen dam in the area, which encompasses Orsk, Orenburg, other Urals regions, and parts of neighboring Kazakhstan.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has described the floods as possibly the country’s most severe natural disaster in 80 years. — BBC
