The threat of flooding in Russias Ural Mountains has shifted from the town of Orsk to neighboring cities and regions, authorities said Tuesday.Thousands have been forced to evacuate Orsk this week as the Ural River swelled.
The floodwaters are now reaching dangerous levels in the main city of Orenburg, with the peak of the flood expected on Wednesday.Orsk Mayor Vasily Kozupitsasaid water levels in the Ural River had fallen by 39 centimeters to 928 centimeters Tuesday, allowing some residents of the most flood-stricken neighborhoods to return home.Headded that access to hot and cold water was gradually being restored, while emergency officialstold state media that electricity supplies were also being phased in.Sergei Salmin, the mayor of Orenburg, a city of 560,000 people, warned of an unprecedented peak of the flood.
Eight villages near Orenburg faced critical situations as the river had risen by 25 centimeters over the last 24 hours.Regional policesaid fake charities soliciting false donations for relief efforts have sprung up, and more than 900 additional police officers have beendeployed to prevent looting.
Residents complained of looting during protests against the local administration on Monday.Rivers in western Siberias Kurgan and Tyumen regions are also swelling.In Kurgan, a city near Kazakhstan where more than 86,000 people have been evacuated authorities said Tuesday that 689 people have been evacuated from the overflowing Tobol river.The mayor's office in Kurgan, a city of around 300,000 people, said the floods could reach the local airport.Russia declared regionwide states of emergency in the Orenburg, Tyumen and Kurgan regions.The Kremlinsaid Tuesday that the Kurgan and Tyumen regions face difficult days ahead.Theres a lot of water coming, spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.President Vladimir Putin is still not planning to visit the Orenburg region, Peskov said, adding that the Russian leader is being regularly updated on the crisis and is constantly dealing with these issues throughout the day.AFP contributed reporting.