Russia evacuates over 4,000 individuals from the Orenburg region following a dam breach resulting in flooding

Thousands evacuated in Russia’s Orenburg region after dam collapse triggers flooding near Kazakhstan border, which Kazakh president says ‘country’s most significant natural disaster in terms of scale and impact in 80 years’

Russia has declared the evacuation of over 4,000 individuals from the Orenburg region near the Kazakhstan border following a dam breach resulting in flooding.

As per the Orenburg governor’s office statement on Saturday, “4,208 individuals, including 1,019 children,” were relocated due to the floods caused by the dam collapse on Friday amid heavy rainfall, impacting over 2,500 residences.

Governor Denis Pasler noted that the flood has peaked, with Orsk, a city of 230,000 on the border, facing particularly challenging conditions.

Reports indicated that around 2,000 residents of Orsk alone were evacuated, situated within the Orenburg region of the Ural mountains.

The region as a whole faces a precarious situation, with authorities warning of high water levels in the Ural river, especially in the main city of Orenburg.

Russia has initiated a criminal case citing “negligence and violation of construction safety regulations” regarding the dam breach, constructed in 2014.

Local prosecutors mentioned that inadequate maintenance led to the dam’s rupture, as reported by Russian news agencies.

Various areas in the Urals and western Siberia have experienced flooding at the onset of spring, with Kazakhstan also witnessing its share of the impact.

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the floods as potentially the country’s most significant natural disaster in terms of scale and impact in 80 years.

Source: Newsroom

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