Russia declares flood-hit Orenburg region a federal emergency, other regions under threat
- Floods caused by rising water levels in the Ural River have forced over 4,000 people, including 885 children, to evacuate the Orenburg region, said the authorities
- The city of Orsk in the country’s southwest has suffered the brunt of the floods that caused a dam to break on Friday, according to its mayor
Russia’s government declared the situation in flood-hit areas in the Orenburg region a federal emergency on Sunday, with preparations for possible flooding underway in three other regions, state media reported.
The floods, caused by rising water levels in the Ural River, forced over 4,000 people, including 885 children, to evacuate in the Orenburg region, the regional government said.
State news agency Tass said that a further 2,000 homes were flooded, bringing the total to nearly 6,300 in the region.
The total damage from the flood in the Orenburg region is estimated to amount to around 21 billion roubles (US$227 million), the regional government said Sunday.
Russia’s Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov arrived in Orsk, one of the most hard-hit cities, on Sunday to supervise rescue operations.
“I propose classifying the situation in the Orenburg region as a federal emergency and establishing a federal level of response,” the minister said, according to RIA Novosti. The move means federal help and coordination can supplement state and local efforts.