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Heavy rainfall led to the collapse of a reservoir dam in the Ural Mountains region of Chelyabinsk on Friday night, Russian authorities said, forcing residents of nearby villages to evacuate their homes.
A dam at the Kialimskoye reservoir, measuring around 500 meters long, was unable to hold back rising waters and broke, unleashing a flood torrent toward four villages in the Karabash district of the Chelyabinsk region.
A video shared on social media showed the dam being washed away by a powerful current of water, which poured into the surrounding area. Another video, filmed by someone who sought safety on the roof of a building, showed fast-flowing water engulfing homes, cars and trees.
According to state media reports, four villages lie directly in the path of the flooding: the villages of Kialim, Mukhametovo, Baydashevo and Karasevo. A local official cited by the RIA Novosti news agency said around 200 people live in those areas.
Authorities in the Karabash district declared a state of emergency after the dam collapsed.
Russia’s Emergency Situations Ministry said around 20 people had already been evacuated by 11:20 p.m. local time. It said temporary shelters had been set up in two local schools.
The Kialimskoye reservoir, built in 1979, is located around 90 kilometers northwest of the city of Chelyabinsk. Its inflow comes from the Indishta and Bolshoy Kialim rivers.
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