Disasters
Russian flood area: situation continues to worsen
The flooded area on the outskirts of Orenburg. photo
© AP/dpa
There is no relief in sight from the worst floods in Russia in decades. The Kurgan and Orenburg regions are particularly badly affected. Others are still threatened with catastrophe.
The situation in Russia According to authorities, the flood area continues to deteriorate. The authorities announced that a total of 15,600 residential buildings and around 28,000 inhabited properties are currently flooded.
The situation is considered particularly dangerous for people in the Kurgan region, where the flood waters of the Tobol River in southwest Siberia rose by one and a half meters to around 6.50 meters within 24 hours. The Orenburg region was also affected by record water levels in the Ural River, from which masses of melting ice and snow flow from the mountain range of the same name.
The unusually strong spring floods have already destroyed much infrastructure, including roads and bridges. The authorities currently estimate the damage in the Orenburg region alone with the regional capital of the same name and the large city of Orsk at more than 40 billion rubles (400 million euros), but is likely to be significantly higher. Dozens of bridges are closed to traffic. Because of the epidemic threat caused by a lack of clean water, authorities also began vaccinations against hepatitis A.
Authorities are said to have warned too late
Many Russians complain that the authorities warned about the danger too late and that help was inadequate and slow. According to authorities, 193 towns in 33 regions of Russia are affected, including the Samara and Omsk regions. The authorities were also preparing for floods in the Novosibirsk region with large rivers.
In Kurgan Region, Governor Vadim Shumkov once again urged people to pack up their documents, valuables and clothing and seek safety. The situation is very difficult and continues to develop negatively, Shumkov said on Telegram. Police officers would organize patrols together with sports fans from clubs to prevent looting.
The Orenburg region is most affected
According to authorities, more than 3,000 flooded homes and more than 4,000 inhabited properties were added within 24 hours. The Orenburg region was worst affected, where a total of 15,000 houses and 23,600 properties were flooded. The state of emergency applies there. Since the disaster began at the beginning of April, more than 18,000 homes and around 37,000 inhabited properties have been affected by the flood. More than 16,500 people were brought to safety during the evacuations in the Orenburg region, where the water level in the Ural River partially receded.
After a snowy winter, spring flooding in the geographical border area between Europe and Asia is stronger this year than it has been in decades. The damage to the flooded houses affects hundreds of thousands of people. The neighboring Republic of Kazakhstan in Central Asia is also affected.