Moscow, Russia

In a rare display of anger, on Monday (Apr 8), at least 100 Russians in Orsk demanded President Vladimir Putin's help in a city struck by the worst flooding ever recorded. Chanting "shame on you" directed at local officials, the people said authorities had done too little to help their plight.

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As per a VOA report, people demanded compensation for the flooding that swallowed over 10,000 homes, after a dam gave way because of rising floodwaters.

On Friday (Apr 5) Europe's third-longest river, the Ural River, swelled several metres in hours and burst through a dam embankment in the city of Orsk.

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Defying laws 

This rare protest, as per the report, defied Russian laws that prohibit all demonstrations without the permission of authorities.

People, standing in front of Orsk's administrative building, demanded emergency assistance, chanting "Putin help".

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Following the demonstration, Orenburg's regional prosecutor warned people against taking part in such events.

"Please take note that this mass event has not been coordinated with the authorities in accordance with the procedure established by law."

As per Reuters, people whose properties were either destroyed or damaged in the floods were unhappy with the compensation offered to them. 

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Denis Pasler, the Orenburg region governor, has promised that the affected civilians will receive compensation payments of about $100 for six months.

Others are upset that the bridge built in 2010 did not protect them from flooding.

Criminal investigation

To investigate whether violations in the dam embankment construction may have led to the structure leaking and the subsequent collapse, an investigation has been launched. Prosecutors, as per Reuters, allege that the dam had not been maintained properly.

As per estimates, the flooding damage totals about $227 million. More than 10,400 homes across Russia have been flooded, with the Urals, Siberia, the Volga and central regions the worst hit.

In the aftermath of the dam collapse, Russia declared an emergency in the Orenburg region near Kazakhstan. As per reports, an emergency has also been declared in the Tyumen region, one of Russia's key oil-producing areas of Western Siberia.

(With inputs from agencies)