Following the collapse of a dam and subsequent flooding in the Orenburg region near the border with Kazakhstan, a rare protest took place in the city of Orsk in Russia. This protest is unusual in Russia, where authorities have typically cracked down on dissent following President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Hundreds of people gathered in front of the administrative building in Orsk, chanting for help and compensation. The floods, caused by rising water levels in the Ural River, led to the evacuation of over 4,000 people, including hundreds of children, in the Orenburg region. Around 10,000 homes, including 7,000 in Orsk, were flooded, and the floodwaters in the city continued to rise. Footage from Orsk and Orenburg showed buildings and fields submerged in water.
Russia’s government declared a federal emergency in the flood-hit areas of Orenburg, with preparations for possible flooding underway in three other regions. Following the protest, the governor of the Orenburg region promised compensation payments of 10,000 rubles a month for six months to those forced out of their homes by the flood. The total damage from the flood in the region is estimated at about 21 billion rubles. Orsk, located near the border with Kazakhstan, suffered the brunt of the floods after a dam broke, triggering a criminal investigation into suspected construction violations. The dam, which was supposed to withstand water levels up to 5.5 meters, faced levels of 9.3 meters and rising. The situation was further exacerbated by the water level reaching 9.7 meters in Orsk, as reported by Russia’s water level information site AllRivers.
Authorities in Orsk reported four deaths, which were unrelated to the flooding, and the federal emergency designation highlighted the risk of flooding beyond the Orenburg region. Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation with officials to coordinate measures for assistance and possible evacuation. The Ural River, flowing through Russia and Kazakhstan, is at the center of the flooding crisis, with concerns about further damage and displacement of people. In a separate incident in the Smolensk region, an overpass collapse in Vyazma led to one death and several injuries, affecting train services towards Belarus and gas supplies for thousands of residents. A criminal investigation has been opened into the collapse, highlighting the need for infrastructure safety in various regions of Russia amidst natural disasters and accidents.
