Russian and Kazakh authorities evacuate thousands after dam burst | Global News

Authorities in Russia have ordered the evacuation of parts of the city of Orsk in the Orenburg region after a dam burst, exacerbating the existing flooding in the area. The heavy rains that have swamped the Ural mountains and nearby regions, including parts of Siberia, have also led to tens of thousands of people being relocated in neighboring Kazakhstan.

According to Interfax, almost 11,000 people live in the affected areas of Orsk, where the dam broke after recent downpours. Russia declared a state of emergency in the Orenburg region earlier this week due to the widespread flooding, with more than 2,000 people already evacuated from their homes.

In Orsk, about 600 residences were estimated to have flooded overnight, with around 530 people involved in the rescue effort, according to the Ministry of Emergency Situations. Fortunately, no injuries or deaths have been reported so far in the city of 200,000 people on the banks of the Ural and Or Rivers.

Meanwhile, floods are also advancing in Barnaul, the capital of the Altai territory in western Siberia. Kazakhstan has evacuated almost 47,000 people from the flood zone, with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev calling it the largest disaster in terms of scale and impact in over 80 years.

Rescue efforts are ongoing in both Russia and Kazakhstan, with all available resources, including the national guard and armed forces, mobilized to help those affected by the devastating floods.