Dam breach in Orenburg triggers federal emergency response
The mayor of the Russian city of Orenburg described the situation following a dam break as critical. He warned that "the water level will still rise in the coming days." In response, authorities have activated the "Typhoon" plan reserved for emergencies. To tackle the crisis, over 2,000 police officers and 560 special vehicles have been dispatched to the area.
Orenburg Mayor Sergey Salmin shared updates about the aftermath of the dam break on Telegram. He indicated that the situation is expected to deteriorate in the near term.
A critical situation prompts the "Typhoon" plan
As per the Mash channel, the "Typhoon" plan has been rolled out in the region. This plan involves swiftly mobilising personnel to the disaster-stricken area to mitigate the emergency's impact.
"To ensure public order, traffic safety, and aid in resident evacuation, over 2,000 police officers from 28 districts have been mobilised. More than 560 special vehicles are also operating in the area," Mash reported.
The functioning of one of the refineries has been halted. This is a measure taken to prevent an environmental disaster.
On Sunday morning, following orders from Vladimir Putin, Alexander Kurenkov, the head of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, arrived at the scene.
Flooding in Russia following dam breach
- Considering the current circumstances and the reports received, I propose we declare the emergency in the Orenburg region as an extraordinary situation at the federal level and initiate a federal response, Kurenkov stated.
The floodwaters have inundated 4,500 homes. The minister mentioned that over 4,000 individuals, including 885 children, have been evacuated from the flood-hit zones within the region. In Orsk, 11 temporary accommodation facilities are available, offering over 8,000 beds. Currently, 510 people, including 116 children, are housed in these facilities.
The governor highlighted that this flooding is the most severe in the region's history. Several hospitals had to evacuate their patients, and the water level has now reached approximately 11 meters. There had been earlier warnings that evacuating residents would be compulsory.
