Russia declared a "federal emergency" in the southern Orenburg region as the Ural River inundated Orsk, prompting the evacuation of thousands of people. Moscow issued a warning about critical water levels in Siberia on Sunday. As per news agency AFP, Heavy rainfall led to the bursting of a dam near Orsk, located in the southern Urals close to Kazakhstan, on Friday night. Authorities cautioned that further downpours would lead to a continuous rise in water levels.
A criminal probe has been launched to investigate suspected construction violations that may have caused the dam to break. Local authorities said the dam could withstand water levels up to 5.5 meters (nearly 18 feet). On Saturday morning, the water level reached about 9.3 meters (30.51 feet) and rising, Kozupitsa said. On Sunday, the level in Orsk reached 9.7 meters (31.82 feet), according to Russia’s water level information site AllRivers.
Authorities in Orsk confirmed that four people had died but their deaths were unrelated to the flooding.
Visuals depicted Orsk submerged, with only the tops of cars visible. Over 4,500 individuals were evacuated from Orsk, with more than 6,500 homes flooded across the Orenburg region, AFP reported.
The Kremlin highlighted "nature anomalies" and instructed preparations for anticipated floods in Siberia's Kurgan and Tyumen regions.
While Orsk, a city which is housing 200,000 people, was badly affected by the flooding. Ural River's water level was also rising quickly in the regional hub of Orenburg, housing around 560,000 people.
"A critical situation has developed in Orsk," Russian Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov remarked, AFP quoted saying.
Images released by his ministry depicted Kurenkov navigating through flooded streets on a boat, passing Soviet-era housing blocks submerged up to the first floor. He also toured temporary housing centers for evacuees. "Nature does not tolerate mistakes," Kurenkov also said. "The flood situation can change rapidly," he warned.
Orenburg regional authorities anticipated the flood's peak on April 9, with stabilisation expected after April 20.
Rise In Water Level Of Ural River
Russia's weather monitor Rosgidromet stated that water levels on the Ural River in the main city of Orenburg are expected to reach dangerous levels over the next three days.
In Orenburg, Mayor Sergei Salmin warned of dangerous water levels in the Ural River over the next three days. He communicated updates via Telegram, noting a 28-centimeter rise in water levels within a day. Approximately 403 homes were affected in Orenburg, with Salmin cautioning residents of enforced evacuations if they refused to leave voluntarily. "We have no time for convincing," he also said.
Authorities reported no casualties thus far but mandated sanitary inspections and advised residents to consume bottled water. Neighboring Kazakhstan also experienced flooding, with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev describing it as one of the country's worst natural disasters in 80 years.
President Vladimir Putin remained abreast of the Orenburg floods in real-time, with plans in place to tackle expected floods in Siberia's Tyumen and Kurgan regions. Putin's spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, noted abnormal increases in water levels at local hydraulic stations, that he had not seen in 100 years.
For a significant portion of his tenure, Putin, aged 71, held doubts about climate change. However, in recent times, he has changed his stance and directed his government to enhance Russia's readiness for severe weather conditions.
Over the past few years, Russia has experienced numerous severe floods and wildfires during the spring and summer seasons.
According to scientists, human-induced climate change is amplifying the duration, severity, and occurrence rate of extreme weather phenomena like wildfires, storms, and floods.