Russia is facing a major emergency as floods in the Ural regions have left large areas “sinking.”
Residents in the Orenburg oblast were forced to evacuate over the weekend after hundreds of homes were invaded by the water.
Now another 800 homes are estimated to have been heavily damaged as flooding continues to change the shape of the region.
Sharing photos of the devastating impact, international affairs negotiator Anna Komsa said: “Meanwhile, in Russia, Orenburg is sinking & the Urals do not see the shores.
“In Orenburg, another 800 houses were flooded in 24H. All engineering equipment went to strengthen the Surovikin line in Ukraine.”
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Discontent spread to the city of Orsk, where residents staged a rare protest on Monday demanding compensation after the local dam collapsed causing the flooding.
Russia’s state-backed news agency Tass said nearly 10,000 homes, including 7,000 in Orsk alone were flooded as of Monday and water levels continue to rise.
Moscow declared a federal emergency across all flood-hit areas on Sunday and said preparations are underway for a new wave of floods in three other regions.
According to local authorities in Orsk, four people had died but they did not confirm whether the deaths had been a result of the flooding.
They also confirmed a criminal probe has been launch to assess whether possible construction violations could have caused the dam to collapse.
Emily Foster is a globe-trotting journalist based in the UK. Her articles offer readers a global perspective on international events, exploring complex geopolitical issues and providing a nuanced view of the world’s most pressing challenges.
