Thousands of people have been moved to safety after a dam burst and resulting flooding in Russia’s Orenburg region, in the Urals. The Public Prosecution Service has already initiated criminal proceedings for negligence.
More than 2,400 houses in the city were flooded. More than 2,000 people were evacuated in Orsk alone, and civil protection is also bringing people to safety in other cities in the region.
2 dead found in the old city
During an inspection of the flooded old city, two dead people were found. The cause of death is not yet known; according to official information they did not drown. Authorities have denied media reports of further casualties.
Criminal proceedings were initiated for negligence
The Public Prosecution Service has opened criminal proceedings for negligence in connection with the floods. The background could be an inspection of the dam by the technical regulator Rostechnadzor in 2020. 38 deficiencies were identified and their rectification ordered. It is unclear whether this happened.
On Saturday afternoon, the mayor’s office of the regional capital Orenburg, further to the west, also sounded the alarm. The Ural River is said to have already reached a water level of 8.55 meters and continues to rise rapidly. The situation is critical, Mayor Sergei Salmin said, calling on citizens to evacuate.
Source: Krone
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