Russia evacuated nearly 4,500 people after dam burst

Emergency services worked through the night after a dam burst in the city of Orsk, near the border with Kazakhstan, on Friday.

The Orenburg governor's press service said "4,402 people, including 1,100 children" had been evacuated and more than 6,000 homes were affected by flooding following torrential rain.

Nearly 4,500 people were killed in the explosion. Photo 1 — Rescuers search for evacuees in a flooded residential area in the city of Orsk, Russia, on April 6, 2024. Photo: REUTERS

President Vladimir Putin has ordered Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov to travel to the region, a Kremlin spokesman said late on Saturday.

Authorities also opened a criminal case for “negligence and violation of construction safety regulations” over the collapse of the dam, which was built in 2014.

Authorities said the situation was dire across the region, warning of dangerous water levels on the Ural River in the main city of Orenburg.

The mayor of the city of half a million people, Sergei Salmin, said authorities would force people to evacuate from flooded areas if necessary.

He said the water level of the Ural River had risen to dangerous levels and would rise further.

"There is no other option. At night, the river water level can rise to dangerous levels," he added. "I urge everyone in the flooded area to leave their homes immediately."

Several areas in the Urals and western Siberia have been affected by flooding since early spring this year.

Mai Anh (according to Reuters, CNA)

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