In the Russian town of Orenburg, authorities requested thousands of inhabitants to leave promptly on Friday because of swiftly rising floods caused by the overflow of major rivers due to an unprecedented flood of melting snow.
The water levels were also dramatically soaring in another Russian region, Kurgan, and in Kazakhstan next door where the officials reported the evacuation of over 100,000 people so far, induced by the swift temperature rise that thawed the heavy snow and ice.
Over 120,000 individuals have been displaced from their houses in the Ural Mountains, Siberia, and Kazakhstan by the flood of melting water, as major water bodies, like the Ural river which runs through Kazakhstan towards the Caspian Sea, exceeded their banks.
Public officials ordered a widespread evacuation in parts of Orenburg, a city with over half a million residents, situated about 1,200km from Moscow to the east.
“A siren is sounding in the city, indicating an ongoing evacuation process. This isn’t a practice run!”, stated Sergei Salmin, the city’s mayor, via the Telegram messaging service.
Rescue team members reported that the Ural river’s water levels had risen over 2m beyond what they considered a dangerous point. Water reached the windows of brick and timber buildings in the city whilst pet dogs sought safety on rooftops.
Mr Salmin urged residents to collect essential items like their documents and medicine, and vacate their properties.
Inhabitants of the flooded properties expressed their dismay over the damage to their possessions. “The water has likely destroyed all the furniture, some home appliances and interior decoration objects”, said local resident, Vyacheslav, surveying his half-submerged brick house from a stationary boat. He viewed the losses as a “huge financial blow.”
The city’s deputy mayor, Alexei Kudinov, announced that more than 360 houses and almost 1,000 plots of land were inundated overnight. He reported that the flood was projected to peak on Friday and then recede over the next two days.
Governor Denis Pasler of Orenburg informed President Vladimir Putin on Thursday that 11,972 residences were inundated and an extra 19,412 individuals would be at potential risk if the water levels rose further.
The small settlement of Kaminskoye, sited within the Kurgan region, had to be evacuated early on a Friday due to an abrupt increase in water levels by 1.4m, disclosed Vadim Shumkov, the Regional Governor of Kurgan, during a Telegram conversation.
Kaminskoye is a settlement stationed along the Tobol River which also snakes through Kurgan, a bustling metropolis housing around 300,000 residents. Kurgan might face severe floods in the forthcoming days, warned Mr. Shumkov.
“All we can do is to hope for a wide flood plain and the soil soaks up as much water as it can en route,” he stated. He also informed that a dam in Kurgan is currently being fortified.
Kurgan houses a pivotal section of Russia’s military industrial complex – a massive factory, Kurganmashzavod, dedicated to producing army infantry combat vehicles. These vehicles are currently in strong demand in Ukraine due to the escalating Russian military offensive in certain zones.
It was reported that Kurganmashzavod had not been affected yet by the imminent floods.
The escalating water levels are posing a significant threat to the southern portions of Western Siberia, which is globally known as the largest hydrocarbon reserve, and regions in proximity to the Volga, the most extensive river in Europe.
A surge in water levels is anticipated within a fortnight in a few other Russian regions, as per reports. — Reuters.
Copyright Thomson Reuters, 2024.