[HIGHLIGHTS] Spring floods in Russia: Two dams have broken, the Urals are flooding, and almost 6,300 houses are said to be under water.

Almost 6,300 houses are said to be under water in the Russian city of Orsk. A state of emergency was officially declared in the region.

Four deaths were also reported in Orsk, but authorities said they had nothing to do with the flood. The public prosecutor's office has initiated criminal proceedings for negligence in the wake of the floods. The background could be an inspection of the dam by the technical supervisory authority Rostechnadzor in 2020. It was unclear whether this happened.