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full screen Rescue workers assist victims in Russia’s Orsk, where a dam failure and spring flood have led to major flooding and, unusually, demonstrations against the authorities. Photo: AP/TT
A broken dam, with major floods as a result, has caused residents of Orsk in Russia to dare to demonstrate against the authorities.
According to the Russian news agency Tass, hundreds of people gathered outside the local government office in Orsk, and videos on social media show them shouting “Putin, help us!” and “Shame”.
Demonstrations and manifestations are usually, as a rule more than an exception, severely suppressed by the authorities.
The floods in the Orenburg region, near Kazakhstan, are due to rain, spring flooding of the Ural River and the bursting of a large dam on Friday due to pressure.
Around 4,000 people have been evacuated and over 10,000 homes have been flooded in the region as water levels continue to rise, submerging streets, cemeteries and houses in whole or in part.
Orenburg has been declared a disaster area while preparations are being made to face flooding in three additional regions.