Orsk Dam collapse
{{Short description|2024 dam failure in Russia}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox event
| title = Orsk Dam collapse
| image = Ural_Flood2024.jpg
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| caption = Satellite image of the city of Orsk during the flood (as of 11 April 2024)
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| duration = April 5 - ongoing (flooding){{cn|date=January 2025}}
| date = April 5 (dam collapse)
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| reported deaths = 15
| reported injuries = 9
| reported missing = 2
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On 5 April 2024, the Orsk Dam collapsed due to flooding along the Ural River,{{Cite web |date=2024-04-06 |title=Thousands are evacuated after floods break a dam in the Russian city of Orsk |url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-ural-mountains-floods-orsk-dam-break-b1bfc60bc552e3a665d2a1bf8b6b053e |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=AP News |language=en}} prompting evacuations. Fifteen people died, while at least six others were injured and damage was estimated to be around 1.2 billion rubles (US$12.9 million).{{Cite news |date=2024-04-07 |title=Russia declares federal emergency over floods after dam bursts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/07/russia-floods-federal-emergency-dam-bursts-orenburg-orsk-ural-river |access-date=2024-04-07 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}
Background
{{See also|2024 Central Asian floods}}
The Orsk Dam was built in 2010 and was built for a water level of {{convert|5.5|m|ft}}. At the time of its collapse, torrential rain was recorded in the area, while melting snow helped push water levels in the Ural River to {{convert|9.6|m|ft}}.{{Cite web |title=Cities in Russian Urals, west Siberia brace for worst floods in decades |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240408-cities-in-russian-urals-west-siberia-brace-for-worst-floods-in-decades |website=France 24 |access-date=2024-04-08}}{{Cite web |title=Federal emergency declared in Russia’s flood-hit Orenburg region |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/7/federal-emergency-declared-in-russias-flood-hit-orenburg-region |website=Al Jazeera |access-date=2024-04-08}}
Collapse
The Orsk Dam collapsed in the evening of 5 April, causing evacuations. Officials in the downstream city of Orsk said that the situation was rapidly worsening, and the President of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called it the country’s worst natural disaster in the last 80 years.{{Cite news |date=2024-04-05 |title=Thousands evacuated as Orsk dam burst worsens Russia floods |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68746276 |access-date=2024-04-07 |work=BBC |language=en-GB}} The governor of Orenburg Oblast, Denis Pasler, also described the floods as the worst to hit the region in its history. In Orsk, areas heavily affected by the flooding included the Old Town, Nikel and Lesotorgovy. The dam was again breached on 6 and 7 April.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-10 |title='Devastating to See': Russia’s Orenburg Region Battles Historic Flood |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/04/10/devastating-to-see-russias-orenburg-region-battles-historic-flood-a84780 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=The Moscow Times |language=en}}
On 7 April, the Russian government declared a federal emergency as the Orsk oil refinery shut down, adding that flooding was also expected in Kurgan and Tyumen Oblasts. Some estimate that the floods caused about $227 million in damages. The Federal Service for Hydrometeorology and Environmental Monitoring said that the water levels in Orenburg city could dangerous levels in the next three days. The government also said that the local hydraulic stations showed an "abnormal increase in water levels" not seen in 100 years. Orenburg's mayor {{ill|Sergei Salmin|ru|Салмин, Сергей Александрович}} also threatened to implement forced evacuations.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-07 |title=Water Level in Russia’s Orsk ‘Critical’ as Kremlin Warns of More Floods |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/04/07/water-level-in-russias-orsk-critical-as-kremlin-warns-of-more-floods-a84762 |access-date=2024-04-07 |website=The Moscow Times |language=en}} Elsewhere in Orenburg Oblast, 127 people were evacuated after floods inundated 304 homes in Buzuluk, while in Buzuluksky District, a bridge over the Borovka River was washed away, isolating settlements in the Buzuluksky Bor National Park. A separate dam was breached in Novotroitsk, prompting evacuations.
On 8 April, hundreds of people protested against the local authorities in Orsk, accusing them of having built a poorly constructed dam for too much money. Protesters shouted "shame, shame" and "Putin, help us".[https://nos.nl/artikel/2516042-russen-na-overstroming-boos-op-lokale-autoriteiten-poetin-help-ons Russen na overstroming boos op lokale autoriteiten, 'Poetin, help ons!'] The mayor of Orsk, Vasiliy Kozupitsa, met with residents and promised to provide financial support to flood victims, and increase security to prevent theft in the affected areas of the city.{{Cite web |title=Настоящий Козупица |url=https://t.me/vnkozupitsa/1728 |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Telegram}} The Insider reported that many flood victims complained of robberies by marauders, despite the promises by the authorities in Orsk to increase security in the city.{{Cite web |title=Пострадавшие от паводка в Оренбургской области сообщают о случаях мародерства и мошенничества |url=https://theins.info/news/270659 |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=The Insider |language=ru}} Residents and volunteers said that the security promised earlier by the authorities was instead used to protect the city's government buildings and politicians from protestors rather than residential areas from robberies.{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUYvQ8FnjJs |title=⚡️Липсиц, Гозман, Кашин {{!}} Россия тонет. Массовая эвакуация. Путин просит бензин у Казахстана {{!}}ВОЗДУХ |language=en |access-date=2024-04-09 |via=www.youtube.com}}
On 10 April, mayor Salmin published a warning on his Telegram channel that at 19:00 local time, sirens will ring throughout Orenburg to warn citizens to evacuate due to the water levels likely reaching the predicted peak of {{convert|930|cm|ft}}, risking the flooding of areas beyond Orsk.{{Cite web |title=Салмин. Напрямую. |url=https://t.me/Salminnaprjamuju/517 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Telegram}} More than 300 residences in the city were flooded.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-10 |title=Water levels rise and homes flood in Russia after a dam bursts near the Kazakhstan border |url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-ural-mountains-floods-orsk-dam-break-9f14551354c528c7dfcf4cd764b8738a |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=Associated Press |language=en}} Mass evacuations in the Orenburg were ordered on 12 April{{Cite web |date=2024-04-13 |title=Russian authorities announced mass evacuation for flood-hit city near Kazakhstan border |url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-flooding-kazakhstan-orenburg-evacuation-e60e4d5a6f776b3f9e8d53edc0668370 |access-date=2024-04-13 |website=Associated Press |language=en}} after Salmin warned that flooding in the city was expected to peak on that day before receding in the following week. By then, more than 7,500 properties in the city had been flooded.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-11 |title=Russia’s Orenburg Orders Mass Evacuation as City Braces for Flood Peak |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/04/12/russias-orenburg-orders-mass-evacuation-as-city-braces-for-flood-peak-a84817 |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=The Moscow Times |language=en}}
Damage and casualties
File:ЗАТОПИЛО ПРИУРАЛЬЕ, ОРЕНБУРГ. 10.04.2024.webm
The failure of the Orsk Dam caused over 1 billion rubles in damage, and 10,000 homes were flooded. Over 4,000 people were evacuated from the area. The Russian government declared a federal emergency.{{Cite web |title=Record flood waters rise in Russia's Urals, forcing thousands to evacuate |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/record-flood-waters-rise-russias-urals-forcing-thousands-evacuate-2024-04-07/|website=Reuters|access-date=2024-04-08}} There were also reports of 15 schools being flooded and three children and six adults being injured, but not severely. Authorities said they expected the flood to reach its peak on 9 April before "stabilising" after 20 April.{{Cite web |title=Russia declares emergency in Orenburg region amid floods after dam burst |url=https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20240407-water-level-in-russia-s-orsk-critical-as-kremlin-warns-of-more-floods |website=France 24 |access-date=2024-04-08}}
Four people were initially reported to have died. However, the Russian health ministry later clarified that the fatalities had "nothing to do with the floods".[https://www.hln.be/buitenland/dam-barst-in-russische-oeral-2-500-huizen-overstroomd-maar-ergste-moet-nog-komen~a6556890/ Dam barst in Russische Oeral: 2.500 huizen overstroomd, maar “ergste moet nog komen’] On 17 April, the Russian investigative news outlet iStories reported that six people had died from the floods in Orsk while another died in Orenburg, citing relatives of the victims who also accused authorities of withholding the circumstances of their deaths to avoid making compensation payments.{{Cite web |title=At Least 7 People Killed in Russian Floods – IStories |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/04/18/at-least-7-people-killed-in-russian-floods-istories-a84879 |website=The Moscow Times |access-date=2024-04-18}}
In March 2025, an Emergency Situations Ministry report found that 15 people had died in the floods.{{Cite web |title=Emergency Authorities Acknowledge 15 Deaths Nearly a Year After Devastating Orenburg Floods |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2025/03/25/emergency-authorities-acknowledge-15-deaths-nearly-a-year-after-devastating-orenburg-floods-a88479 |website=The Moscow Times |access-date=26 March 2025}}
Reactions
Presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that President Vladimir Putin had no plans to visit the area,{{Cite web |title=The Moscow Times |url=https://t.me/moscowtimes_ru/21215 |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Telegram}} adding that Putin was instead "getting information and co-ordinated the work of all branches of authorities".{{Cite web |title=Russia floods: Ural river reaches critical level in Orenburg |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68779385 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=BBC |language=en}}
On 8 April, residents of Orsk staged protests in the city's central square over insufficient compensation provided by the local government for damages and the failure to fix the structural deficiencies of the dam. Demonstrators also appealed for an intervention from President Putin, who ordered a government commission to oversee the response to the disaster{{Cite web |date=2024-04-08 |title=Residents of Flood-Struck Russian City Protest Local Government |url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2024/04/08/residents-of-flood-struck-russian-city-protest-local-government-a84777 |access-date=2024-04-08 |website=The Moscow Times |language=en}} and deployed Emergencies Minister Aleksandr Kurenkov to Orenburg Oblast. In response, the governor of Orenburg Oblast, Denis Pasler, promised to provide monthly compensation payments of 10,000 rubles (approximately $108) for six months to displaced residents.{{Cite web |date=2024-04-09 |title=Russians stage a rare protest after a dam bursts and homes flood near the Kazakh border |url=https://apnews.com/article/russia-ural-mountains-floods-orsk-dam-break-e58e787f8354f79883a1f9559982fe1f |access-date=2024-04-09 |website=Associated Press |language=en}} The Investigative Committee of Russia also opened a criminal investigation into the collapse focusing on violations of construction safety regulations and negligence. Vaccinations against hepatitis A were also conducted.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un offered his condolences and said that "Our people will always be with the Russian people."
References
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{{cite web|url=https://www.rferl.org/a/russia-kazakhstan-floods-disaster-anger-government-response/32899149.html |title='Very Tense': Anger Rises To Surface Over Government Response To Kazakh, Russian Floods |trans-title= |publisher=RFE/RL's Kazakh Service and RFE/RL's Russian Service |date=2024-04-10 |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=rferl.com |language=en |quote=The governor of the North Kazakhstan region, Ghauez Nurmukhambetov, issued a statement on April 10 warning that "a huge amount of water is coming" to the region via the Ishim River and will reach the regional capital, Petropavl, and dozens of local towns and villages in "a day or two." }}
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{{2024 floods}}
Category:2024 floods in Europe
Category:2024 disasters in Kazakhstan
Category:2024 disasters in Russia
Category:April 2024 in Kazakhstan
Category:Dam failures in Europe