Ural River crisis escalates: Over 7,700 evacuated in Orenburg flood disaster

The state of the Ural River, where the construction of a dam was interrupted and breached, has exceeded the critical level. The number of people evacuated due to flooding in the Orenburg region has surpassed 7,700. However, in some places, there has been some improvement in the situation.

Dramatic news emerged on Friday. In the Russian city of Orsk, a dam on the Ural River—the third-largest in Europe—burst, flooding many homes. According to local authorities, Orsk has now passed the peak of the flood wave, but the water level has risen in the more southerly city of Orenburg, with a population of 550,000.

As of 10 April in the Orenburg region, 7,703 residents had been evacuated due to flooding. In 79 towns, 12,800 residential buildings and 14,900 household plots were flooded.

In 36 temporary accommodation centers, there are 1,513 people, including 262 children. The rest have been accommodated with relatives. Moreover, 570 livestock animals have been moved from the flood zone to safe areas - the press service of the governor and government of the Orenburg region informed on the Telegram channel.

The most difficult flood situation continues in Orsk. Nearly 6,800 residential buildings in the city have been flooded. In Orenburg, the level of the Ural River reached nearly 98 metres, with a critical level of about 93 metres.

Currently, 11 districts of the region's capital and ten settlements near the city are in the flood zone. As the press service noted, the water level in 14 towns of the region has declined in the last 24 hours. 38 residential buildings have been drained.

The regional authorities estimate the damage caused by the flood at 21 billion rubles - the Kremlin news agency RIA Novosti reported.

- The authorities do not rule out the possibility of announcing an emergency evacuation - reports, among others, Belsat.