MOSCOW, April 6. /TASS/. A piece of an embankment dam broke in the Old Town of Orsk, Orenburg Region, affecting around 4,200 houses and nearly 11,000 people across the region. There were no victims from the emergency.
As of 10:30 a.m. Moscow time, operational services told TASS that the dam in Orsk completely collapsed. However, later the press service of the regional government told TASS that the information about the complete destruction of the dam in Orsk did not correspond to reality and that the flow at one of the two damages points on the dam was eliminated.
According to authorities, the water level continues to increase, and the situation could worsen.
What happened
- The break was first reported around 20:30 Moscow time on April 5.
- According to Head of Orsk Vasily Kozupitsa, partial damage to the dam body occurred in two places.
- The water level in the Ural River in the Orenburg region was 2 meters higher than dangerous and reached 9.27 meters. In a few hours, the water rose by 4 meters in some places and continued to rise. At the same time, the intensity of water level growth decreased.
- Kozupitsa noted that the situation could rapidly get worse.
Casualties and consequences
- 4,258 houses and 10,987 local residents were affected by the flood. Throughout the Orenburg region (except Orsk), 556 houses were flooded. There were no casualties as a result of the dam break, and no one sought medical help.
- 4,208 people were evacuated (including 1,019 children), 495 temporary accommodation centers for 82,200 people are being prepared for deployment.
- 47 bridges and 106 sections of roads were closed during the flood in 31 districts of the region.
- The power supply has been disrupted in 12 settlements, and it will not be restored until the end of the flood.
What's happening in Orsk
- Over 2,400 residential buildings and over 3,000 adjacent areas were flooded in Orsk, Orenburg region.
- The entire residential sector of the Old Town microdistrict of Orsk may be flooded in the near future, the city authorities called on residents to urgently evacuate.
- The city’s water supply has been reduced by a third: the pressure in the pipes has been reduced to preserve the equipment - part of it is flooded and cannot be started remotely.
- City residents are being evacuated from houses located in the flood zone, so far, 711 people were evacuated, including 210 children.
Eliminating consequences
- According to preliminary estimates, water will leave Orsk over more than two weeks.
- Deputy Minister of Emergency Situations Ilya Denisov arrived at the scene.
- 1,112 rescue specialists and 462 units of equipment are working in the Orenburg region, including more than 530 specialists, 125 units of equipment and 75 watercraft are operating in Orsk. More than 200 police officers are also deployed in the flood zone.