Thousands of people are being helped to safety in a desperate evacuation after a dam broke in
Russia causing a state of emergency with buildings flooded . Water levels were up to 16 feet above the danger level, leading to major flooding in the Old Town of Orsk, near Russia's border with Kazakhstan, where three people were reported killed. Residents were being helped to safety as 75 boats were deployed following the dam bursting on the Ural River. Some 4,208 people had been evacuated by early today, with 2,556 residential buildings submerged in Orsk and the rest of Orenburg region where the state of emergency was in place. Orsk is the worst-hit but
Vladimir Putin ’s regime is facing “critical” flooding exceeding “dangerous” levels in more than 30
Russian regions, with forecasts of worse to come next week. ASOS 60% off spring sale includes Dr Martens, Topshop, Nike, River Island and more A dog being taken to safety ( Image: Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service) A dam broke leading to the flooding ( Image: Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service) “The protective dam in the Old Town [of Orsk] near Orenburgskaya Street broke through,” said the city administration. “The population is currently being evacuated - some 4,258 houses and 10,987 people fall into the flood zone .” People and pets were being carried to safety yet no respite is expected for between ten day and two weeks. There were reports of three deaths. Heavy earth-moving machinery was brought in a perilous operation to seek to bolster one of two dam ruptures in Orsk, with a 230,000 population, some 1,100 miles east of
Moscow. “The situation is extraordinary and very difficult,” said Orsk mayor Vasily Kozupitsa. A Russian Emergency Ministry worker comforts an elderly woman ( Image: Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service) “Due to a sharp increase in the water level coming from the upper reaches of the Urals, the dam could not withstand the load…. The dam was breached near the village of Stroiteley.” He warned: "Today, in a few hours, the water has risen by 4 metres [16ft].” In Orenburg city, mayor Sergey Salmin warned the situation was “critical” with more than 300 houses already flooded. Don't wait for the situation to become threatening! Leave! You need to evacuate as quickly as possible," he said. People use boats while evacuating in Orsk ( Image: Administration of the city of Orenburg telegram channel) Seasonal floods this year are intensified due to unusual heat and meltwater runoff from snow-covered mountains. Alerts indicated dangerous levels on the Uver River in Novgorod region, the Protva River in Kaluga region, and the Sudogda River in Vladimir region. A state of emergency was introduced in five districts of the Chelyabinsk region due to flooding. Critics say Putin has neglected basic infrastructure such as flood defences as he built hypersonic missiles and engaged in a costly war in
Ukraine .