Recently, Russia and Kazakhstan have been hit by the worst floods in at least 70 years due to snowmelt and dam bursts.
As of April 9, Russia and Kazakhstan's two neighbors have issued evacuation orders for more than 100,000 people. A state of emergency has been declared in the Orenburg, Tyumen and Kurgan regions of Russia, as well as in 10 regions of Kazakhstan.
On April 10, 2024 local time, satellite images showed flooded houses in Orenburg Oblast, Russia.
This is reported to be the worst flood in the affected areas in at least 70 years. Russia's Ural Mountains, Siberia and several areas of Kazakhstan near the Ural and Tobol rivers were affected by the floods. Local officials said the river rose to its highest level on record within hours.
On April 9, 2024 local time, in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, a dam collapsed and flooded residential areas.
On April 6, 2024 local time, in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, floods caused houses in the city of Orsk to be flooded.
On April 6, 2024 local time, residents of Orsk City, Orenburg Oblast, Russia, are evacuating.
The Ural River is the third longest river in Europe, flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan and emptying into the Caspian Sea. The Ural River, which flows through Russia's Orenburg Oblast, is currently in the middle of the spring flood season, and the thawing of the river ice has caused the water level to rise rapidly. On the 5th, a dam burst in the Orsk district of the Orenburg region, causing floodwaters from the Ural River to rush to residential areas, exacerbating the flooding caused by snowmelt.
On April 6, 2024 local time, in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, floods hit the village of Prilje.
On April 9, 2024 local time, houses in the city of Orsk, Orenburg Oblast, Russia, were flooded.
The Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations announced on the evening of the 9th that the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations carried out flood relief work 24 hours a day. Although the floods are still severe, the situation in some federal subjects of Russia is easing. Currently, more than 10,500 houses and 19,400 homesteads in Russia's 37 federal constituents are flooded.
On April 9, 2024 local time, in Orsk, Orenburg Oblast, Russia, rescuers evacuated local people.
On April 9, 2024 local time, in Orsk, Orenburg Oblast, Russia, rescuers from the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations sailed along a flooded street in an inflatable boat.
On April 9, 2024 local time, in Orsk, Orenburg Oblast, Russia, the affected people were evacuated to temporary resettlement sites.
On the 10th, Alexei Kudinov, the first deputy mayor of Orenburg, the second largest city in the Orenburg region, announced that the water level of the Ural River near the city had risen by 0.81 meters in the past day and night, reaching 9.78 meters, exceeding the critical value of 9.3 meters. More than 300 more houses in the city have been flooded in the past day and night, and more than 200 are at risk of flooding in the near future. He urged local residents to evacuate the affected areas. Hydrologists predict that the water level of the Ural River will rise by another 30 to 70 centimeters in the next 24 hours. The city has a population of about 550,000, and the governor of Orenburg, Denis Pasler, took to social media to urge residents of dangerous areas to evacuate as soon as possible.
On April 9, 2024 local time, drone footage showed that many houses in Kurgan City, the capital of Kurgan Oblast, Russia, were flooded.
On April 9, 2024 local time, in the Kurgan region of Russia, rescuers rushed to repair the embankment and deal with the flood.
The city of Kurgan, the capital of the Kurgan region, through which the Tobol River flows, also issued an evacuation order. Local officials expect a "difficult situation" at the end of April given the continued rise in water levels. The Kurgan region has 800,000 inhabitants. Footage taken by drones shows many houses and other structures flooded.
On the morning of the 10th, affected by the floods, the alarm sounded in the Russian city of Kurgan. At the same time, the city of Kurgan also carried out a preventive evacuation of the population. According to reports, in the early morning of the same day, the Tobol River near the city of Kurgan rose by 0.23 meters, and the water level reached 3.57 meters. According to local weather forecasts, the threat of flooding remains. From the 11th to the 14th, there will be a big flood in Kurgan.
On April 1, 2024 local time, in Kazakhstan, the transportation of 49 villages was interrupted due to flooding caused by snowmelt, and citizens were evacuated by helicopter.
On April 9, 2024 local time, in Pokrovka, northern Kazakhstan, rescuers evacuated the affected residents.
On April 1, 2024 local time, snowmelt in 49 villages in Kazakhstan caused flooding, and more than 10,000 animals, including pets and livestock, were rescued and evacuated.
More than 86,000 people were evacuated from Kazakhstan due to flooding. Most of the areas that have been severely affected are bordering Russia. The Kremlin reportedly said that President Vladimir Putin was getting the latest information and had spoken with Kazakh President Kasamjomat Tokayev.
*This article is a synthesis of Xinhua News Agency, CCTV News Client, Pictures, Visual China, Surging Images