Russia floods: Ural river reaches critical level in Orenburg - BBC News

Water levels in Orenburg, home to 500,000 people, rise above the Ural river's bursting point.

2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Satellite image ©2024 Maxar TechnologiesImage caption, Many villages in the region of Orenburg are now completely floodedBy Laura GozziBBC NewsRussia has said the situation is "very, very tense" as floodwaters continue to rise in the city of Orenburg and surrounding areas.

"Large amounts of water are coming to new regions," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned on Wednesday.

Water levels in the Ural river near Orenburg rose to over 10m (33ft) on Wednesday, Ria news agency reported, well above its bursting point.

The flooding is being described as the worst to hit the region in 80 years.

Thousands of people have had to flee their homes in southern Russia, and officials in neighbouring Kazakhstan say the number of evacuees there has risen to 97,000.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68779385

---