According to the Russian Emergency Situations Minister, the situation is tense after the breach of a dam in the Urals. “A critical situation has arisen,” Alexander Kurenkov said on Sunday during a visit to the stricken city of Orsk. The dam burst led to massive flooding and thousands of people had to be moved to safety.
According to Russian authorities, the dam in the 200,000-resident city of Orsk in the Orenburg region, which borders Kazakhstan, broke through on Friday. Previously, there were heavy rain showers amid the melting snow. The judiciary opened criminal proceedings for “negligence and violation of construction safety regulations.”
The oil refinery had to stop work
Meanwhile, operations at an oil refinery in Orsk, about 1,100 miles east of Moscow, have been suspended after the dam burst. The operator said the reason for halting oil processing was to avoid environmental risks in light of the flooding.
The petrochemical plant, not far from the border with Kazakhstan, has an annual capacity of six million tons of oil. In Russia, oil processing at other refineries has also been reduced by Ukrainian attacks.
The water level continues to rise
The mayor of Orenburg, capital of the oblast of the same name, also spoke of a critical situation due to the flood. The water level is expected to rise in the coming days.
Source: Krone
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