Moscow (AFP) April 17, 2024 - Russian President Vladimir Putin called Wednesday on local leaders in Siberia and the Urals to make sure flood-hit homes are safe from looting, as authorities in the Kurgan region evacuated 14,000 people from the rising Tobol river.
Europe News: Authorities in Orenburg and Kurgan issued urgent evacuation calls as floodwaters surged from melting snow. Over 100,000 were evacuated from Kazakhstan
The level of the Ural river in the Russian city of Orenburg has reached 11.83 metres, or around 39 feet, local authorities said on Saturday, after major rivers burst their banks due to a historic deluge of melting snow. Authorities in the city called on thousands of residents to evacuate immediately on Friday due to rapidly rising floodwaters. Water was also rising sharply in another Russian region, Kurgan.