Russian authorities, via AFPThe flooding today in Orenburg, southwestern Russia
NOS Nieuws•vandaag, 14:34
The floods in southwestern Russia and parts of Kazakhstan are causing increasing problems. In total, about 100,000 people have been evacuated, according to authorities. In the Russian city of Orsk, the water level has now dropped slightly. But downstream, far into Kazakhstan, the peak is yet to come.
Last Friday, a dam in Orsk collapsed due to heavy rainfall. Four days later, a total of around 14,000 houses are flooded, according to statistics released from both countries. It is unclear whether there were any casualties.
Hundreds of agents
Local authorities in Orsk report that the water level is now slowly dropping. In the old center the water was about one meter higher than normal at peak time. According to the latest reports, power and water supplies are being restarted. 900 extra police officers have also been deployed to prevent looting, state news agency RIA Novosti reports.
The highest water level is expected tomorrow afternoon in the regional capital Orenburg. It is feared that parts of the city with half a million inhabitants will be flooded. Aerial images show that the water has almost reached a group of apartment buildings.
Putin not going to disaster area
The Kremlin says tough times lie ahead. Putin is monitoring the situation, Russian state media report, but the president does not yet plan to visit the disaster area.
In the affected city of Orsk, residents demonstrated against local authorities yesterday. They hold the government responsible for the dam breach and called on Putin to take action. The Russian Public Prosecution Service has launched an investigation into the incident.
Kazakh authorities, via EPAA rescue operation by boat in western Kazakhstan, photo from yesterday
More than 85,000 citizens have been brought to safety in Kazakhstan, the Emergency Minister says. No information has been released on the number of deaths or injuries. English-language Kazakh media do provide a list of measures taken, such as placing 1,192,000 sandbags.
Much more flooding is also expected in the Kazakh disaster area. It takes many days or sometimes even more than a week for rainwater from the mountains to reach low-lying areas. A state of emergency applies in several regions.
It is unclear to what extent the dam burst in Russia led to flooding in Kazakhstan. Neither Kazakh nor Russian authorities have said anything about this.
2024-04-09 12:34:36
#evacuations #due #flooding #Russia #Kazakhstan
