Flood waters were rising in two cities in Russia’s Ural mountains on Sunday after Europe’s third-longest river burst through a dam, flooding at least 6,000 homes and forcing thousands of people to flee with just their pets and a few belongings.
Some of the worst floods in decades have hit a string of Russian regions in the Ural Mountains and Siberia, along parts of neighboring Kazakhstan, in recent days.
The Ural River, which rises in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, swelled several meters in just hours on Friday due to melt water, bursting through a dam embankment in the city of Orsk, 1,800 km east of Moscow.
More than 4,000 people were evacuated in Orsk as swathes of the city of 230,000 were flooded. Footage published by the Emergencies Ministry showed people wading through neck-high waters, rescuing stranded dogs, and traveling along flooded roads in boats and canoes.
The Russian state news agency TASS reported that six adults and three children had been hospitalized in Orsk, but their condition was not life-threatening.
Apocalyptic waters
In Kurgan city, which has a population of 310,000, authorities ordered residents of one riverside neighborhood to evacuate urgently, saying that flood waters would soon arrive in the city.
The Orenburg region’s governor, Denis Pasler, said the floods were the worst to hit the region since records began.
He said that flooding had been recorded along the entire course of the 2,400 km Ural River, which flows through the Orenburg region and then through Kazakhstan into the Caspian Sea.
The Ural River, which rises in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, swelled several meters in just hours on Friday due to melt water, bursting through a dam embankment in the city of Orsk, 1,800 km east of Moscow.
More than 4,000 people were evacuated in Orsk as swathes of the city of 230,000 were flooded. Footage published by the Emergencies Ministry showed people wading through neck-high waters, rescuing stranded dogs, and traveling along flooded roads in boats and canoes.
The Russian state news agency TASS reported that six adults and three children had been hospitalized in Orsk, but their condition was not life-threatening.
Apocalyptic waters
In Kurgan city, which has a population of 310,000, authorities ordered residents of one riverside neighborhood to evacuate urgently, saying that flood waters would soon arrive in the city.
The Orenburg region’s governor, Denis Pasler, said the floods were the worst to hit the region since records began.
He said that flooding had been recorded along the entire course of the 2,400 km Ural River, which flows through the Orenburg region and then through Kazakhstan into the Caspian Sea.
Russian media cited Orenburg region authorities as estimating the cost of flood damage locally at around 21 billion roubles (USD 227 million) and saying that flood waters would dissipate only after April 20.
In Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Saturday the floods were his country’s largest natural disaster in terms of scale and impact for 80 years.
Flood warnings were issued in other Russian regions and the situation could get worse very fast.
“The water is coming, and in the coming days, its level will only rise,” said Sergei Salmin, the mayor of Orenburg.
Local officials said the dam in Orsk was built for a water level of 5.5 meters, yet the Ural River rose to 9.6 meters.
The Orsk oil refinery suspended work on Sunday due to the flooding. Last year, the Orsk Refinery processed 4.5 million tons of oil.
In Kazakhstan, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said on Saturday the floods were his country’s largest natural disaster in terms of scale and impact for 80 years.
Flood warnings were issued in other Russian regions and the situation could get worse very fast.
“The water is coming, and in the coming days, its level will only rise,” said Sergei Salmin, the mayor of Orenburg.
Local officials said the dam in Orsk was built for a water level of 5.5 meters, yet the Ural River rose to 9.6 meters.
The Orsk oil refinery suspended work on Sunday due to the flooding. Last year, the Orsk Refinery processed 4.5 million tons of oil.
Source: TVP World, Reuters
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