Afp
Updated Sunday, April 7, 2024-12:52
Russian authorities
admitted
on Sunday that flooding in the Ural city of
Orsk
, caused by a dam burst, is getting worse and that the situation is "critical."
"A critical situation has been created in the city of Orsk," declared Russian Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov upon his arrival in this industrial city of more than 200,000 inhabitants located near the
border with Kazakhstan.
The images released by his office on Telegram show him surrounded by members of the rescue services in a small boat, navigating through the water that reaches the windows of some houses and several businesses.
On Friday, the bursting of a dam in
Orsk
, near the border with Kazakhstan, caused a rapid rise in water levels, aggravated by bad weather and melting ice, a common phenomenon at this time of year in many Russian regions.
In Orsk, more than 4,500 houses have been flooded and more than
4,000 people have already been evacuated
to temporary accommodation centers, according to Kurenkov.
The authorities have classified the disaster as a "federal emergency", which allows special funds to be released. Reinforcements have also arrived at the scene to help the specialists who are already working.