Flood disaster in Russia: Ural River reaches alarming height

Flood disaster in Russia: Ural River reaches alarming height

The flood situation in Russia in the southern part of the Ural Mountains is further exacerbated. The Ural river reached a height of 9.78 meters on Wednesday morning, which is about half a meter above the critical brand. As a result, parts of the city of Orenburg were flooded. Experts predict that the water level could increase by another 30 to 70 centimeters. A total of 12,800 houses and 14,900 garden plots are flooded in the Orenburg administration area, which means that more than 7000 people had to be evacuated.

The disaster situation has meant that the power supply was interrupted in some villages due to switched off substances. In addition, dishes had to be closed and museums had to be evacuated to protect works of art. Especially in the city of Orsk, where dams were destroyed, the effects of flooding can be felt strongly. Adjacent regions such as Kurgan in Southwest Siberia are also affected by rising floods, with huge flooded areas to be seen.

The population begins to protest because they criticize the slow response of the authorities. President Vladimir Putin has ordered increased use of police forces to prevent looting. There are reports that people in public places "Putin help!" call. The increasing floods are due to a massive snow and ice melt in the Ural Mountains, accompanied by heavy rainfall.

critics complain that the government in Russia has not been doing enough for years to prepare for spring floods. A prominent example is Julia Nawalnaja, a Putin critic and widow of the late Kreml opponent Alexej Nawalny, who denounces the lack of preparation for the government for various natural disasters. The floods are mainly due to the melting of snow, rains and dam breaks at Orsk. Also adjacent regions such as Kazakhstan suffer from the floods, which previously had to be temporarily brought to safety.