What's happened
Thousands of people have been evacuated in the Orenburg region of Russia after the Ural River overflowed, causing severe flooding and damage to homes. The floods, triggered by rising water levels and a dam burst in Orsk, have led to a federal emergency declaration and ongoing rescue operations.
Why it matters
The flooding in the Orenburg region of Russia has resulted in a significant humanitarian crisis, with thousands of people forced to evacuate and homes damaged by the rising waters. The federal emergency declaration underscores the severity of the situation and the need for coordinated response efforts to address the immediate impact and long-term recovery.
What the papers say
The coverage from various sources highlights the scale of the flooding in the Orenburg region and the government's response to the crisis. While some reports focus on the evacuation efforts and damage caused by the floods, others delve into the criminal investigation launched into the dam breach and the challenges faced by residents in the affected areas.
How we got here
The flooding in the Orenburg region was triggered by rising water levels in the Ural River and a dam burst in the city of Orsk, leading to widespread evacuations and property damage. The region's proximity to the border with Kazakhstan added complexity to the rescue operations, with emergency services working to address the immediate threats posed by the flooding.
Common question
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Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country located in Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. Covering an area of 17,125,200 square kilometres, it is the largest country in the world by area, spanning more than one-eighth of the Earth's in
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Orsk is the second largest city in Orenburg Oblast, Russia, located on the steppe about 100 kilometers southeast of the southern tip of the Ural Mountains. The city straddles the Ural River. Population: 239,800; 250,963; 270,711. It lies adjacent to the K
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Orenburg is the administrative center of Orenburg Oblast, Russia. It lies on the Ural River, 1,478 kilometers southeast of Moscow. Orenburg is also very close to the border with Kazakhstan. Population: 548,331; 549,361; 546,501.
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The Moscow Times is an English-language online-only newspaper based in Moscow. It was in print from 1992 until 2017, with a peak circulation of 55,000.
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Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country mainly located in Central Asia with a smaller portion west of the Ural in Eastern Europe.
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The Ural Mountains or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the river Ural and northwestern Kazakhstan.
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Orenburg Oblast is a federal subject of Russia. Its administrative center is the city of Orenburg. From 1938 to 1957, it bore the name Chkalov Oblast in honor of Valery Chkalov. Population: 2,033,072.
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A dam failure or dam burst is a catastrophic type of structural failure characterized by the sudden, rapid, and uncontrolled release of impounded water or the likelihood of such an uncontrolled release. Between the years 2000 and 2009 more than 200 notabl
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Aleksandr Vyacheslavovich Kurenkov (Russian: Александр Вячеславович Куренков; born 2 June 1972) is a Russian politician and military officer. He has served as the Minister of Emergency Situations since May 2022, and holds the