Thousands in Russia were forced to flee their homes and the Russian government declared an emergency in an affected region on Monday as swiftly melting snow triggered the worst recorded flooding in Russia’s Ural Mountains.
Some of Europe’s biggest rivers swelled to their bursting points and the Ural River, Europe’s third longest river, burst through a dam embankment in the city of Orsk, forcing authorities to declare an emergency in the Orenburg region near Kazakhstan.
The river, which rises in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, will reach dangerous levels on Monday in Orenburg, a city of 500,000 down river from Orsk, and the peak is expected there on April 10, Russia’s emergency ministry said.
Over 10,400 homes across Russia have been flooded. The Urals, Siberia, the Volga and central regions of the country are worst hit, the Russian emergency ministry said.
“An increase in air temperatures, active snow melt and river openings are predicted. More than 10,400 residential buildings remain flooded in 39 regions,” Russia’s emergency ministry said.
People were captured wading through flood water reaching their necks. A man was captured wading through neck-deep water with a black cat perched on his head in Orsk, 1,800 km (1,100 miles) east of Moscow.
The floods forced emergency workers to use boats to move around as streets were submerged. The mayor of Orenburg, Sergei Salmin, said the Ural River was expected to break the previous record of 9.46 metres. It is currently 8.72 metres.
“Absolutely everyone who is in the flood zone needs to leave their homes,” Salmin said. “Do not delay the evacuation! The situation will only get worse in the next two days.”
President Vladimir Putin asked the government to form a special commission to deal with the flooding in Orenburg, Kurgan and Tyumen regions, the Kremlin said. Putin was being kept updated on the situation, the Kremlin said.
(with inputs from Reuters)
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