Russia: Situation ‘critical’ in Orsk after severe flooding causes dam to burst

Over 4,000 people were forced to leave their homes after major floods hit the Russian city of Orsk on Saturday (Apr 6).

Rising water in the Ural River flooded riverside settlements and caused a dam to burst.

Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov on Sunday (Apr 7) released a statement saying that the flood situation has turned "critical" after the dam burst.

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"A critical situation has developed in the city of Orsk" in the southern Urals close to the border with Kazakhstan, he said from the city of 200,000 people.

The people evacuated from the area have been sent to temporary housing centres, said Kurenkov.

As per news agency AFP reports, the images spread out on social media platform Telegram's channel showed the minister on a small boat surrounded by members of the emergency services.

The dam in the Orenburg region burst on Friday night (Apr 5) due to torrential rains.

Authorities open criminal case in the incident

Authorities have opened a criminal case in the incident over "negligence and violation of construction safety rules" following the dam burst.

The dam was built in the year 2014.

The authorities have also issued a warning that there could be a dangerous rise in the water level on the Ural River in the main city of Orenburg.

As per AFP reports, a "federal emergency" has been declared in the region with additional funding and reinforcements being sent to the area to address the pressing situation.

Melting ice at this time of year has further worsened the current situation.

The dam was designed to control a 5.5-metre water level in the Ural River which has now risen to nine metres.

The mayor of Orenburg, Sergei Salmin, issued a warning to half a million people of the city that they also might be asked to evacuate their homes if the dire situation persists.

"The situation remains critical. The water is arriving and in the coming days, its level will only rise," Salmin wrote on Telegram, adding that the water level had risen 28 centimetres since the previous day.

The Russian weather authorities believe that on Wednesday it will reach its peak level.

(With inputs from agencies)