There is a state of emergency in the Russian city Cause.
4,000 people have been evacuated after a dam burst, Russian media reports.
– Yesterday we didn’t think it would turn out like this, we somehow thought it would pass. We had hope, says Zulfiya Shits who lives in the area.
Parts of the Russian city of Orsk, just a few miles from Kazakhstan, are under water after a dam collapsed in the area.
11,000 people live in the area and according to the Russian authorities, around 4,000 of these have been evacuated.
– The water arrives quickly. Many single-family housing estates are predominantly located here. Evacuation is carried out by employees of the Russian Rescue Ministry and other rescue units, including regional and municipal units, said Alexander Sitnikov, spokesman for the Russian Emergencies Ministry for the Orenburg region.
Step with eight meters
The Ural River, dammed by the dam, has risen by more than eight meters. But the fact that it would break still came as a shock to many.
– Yesterday we didn’t think it would be like this, we somehow thought it would pass, we had hope. But this morning the water was knee high, says Zulfiya Shits who lives in the area.
According to Blomberg, 600 homes should have been flooded during the night to Saturday.
– In the morning we refused to evacuate, but when the water came we asked for help, says one who lives in the area.
The reason for the collapse is believed to be weekly heavy rain, but Russian authorities have opened a criminal investigation as poor maintenance of the dam is suspected.