Orsk residents demand compensation from Russian government over flood damage

Russians living in the southern city of Orsk are demanding compensation from the government for flood damage caused to their homes after the city’s dam burst.

They’re angry about accusations that they ignored evacuation orders and that flood defences constructed in 2010 weren’t sufficient.

A criminal probe is underway to investigate suspected construction violations that may have caused the dam to break.

Local media say around 7,000 homes in Orsk have been flooded and more than 4,000 people have been evacuated from the wider Orenburg region.

Parts of neighbouring Kazakhstan have also been affected, and more than 100,000 people have been evacuated across the two countries.

Aid has begun to arrive to the region, with the Emergency Situations ministry saying 35 tonnes of food, water, hygiene products and medical supplies have been delivered.

Meanwhile, flood tube dams have been delivered to Siberia’s Tyumen Region, another part of the country hit by rising waters.

Officials say the water-filled dams can be set up quickly and provide protection against flooding. Four kilometres of the dams are being dispatched to the region.

The disaster is believed to have been sparked by sudden warm snap that caused a mass snowmelt in the Ural Mountains and some parts of Siberia.