٠٠:٠٣:٣٨Locals in Orsk marched to an administration building on Monday to attend a meeting with Mayor Vasily Kozupitsa after the city was hit with severe flooding following the breach of a protective dam.
Footage shows Kozupitsa surrounded by a large crowd as he offers the townspeople reassurances with a megaphone.
"What I want to emphasise is that both the governor and the president have assured us that Orsk will not be forsaken. There is a unified commitment to support and restore everything that has been impacted, with housing being the top priority. I want to assure each and every one of you that you will not face this adversity alone. Assessment commissions will be deployed to evaluate the extent of the damage, and funds will be allocated for the construction and restoration of new housing," the mayor said.
Meanwhile, a participant in the march said that the majority of flood victims are elderly and vulnerable.
"They are incapacitated, they will not physically build [new housing] themselves, no matter how much they want to. The number of people, private construction organisations, will not be able to absorb it," he added.
On 6 April, the Governor of the Orenburg Region, Denis Pasler, referred to the flood as the most significant in the region's history.
The regional government's press service reported that the water level in the Ural River exceeded the dam's design level by four metres, reaching 9.6 metres instead of the intended 5.5 metres.
The local Orsk administration reported the breach of the protective dam in the Old Town area late on Friday, April 5, triggering widespread flooding, with over 4,000 homes and over 10,000 people affected.
On Saturday, Orsk Mayor Vasily Kozupitsa said another section of the dam near Borisoglebsky Street in Nickel had been breached, resulting in 'water rushing into the city', and urged residents to leave their homes as soon as possible.
According to the Russian Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM), 3,900 residential houses and 8,700 plots remain flooded at the time of publication. More than 6,100 people were evacuated, with 1,213 placed in temporary accommodation centres.
EMERCOM Head Alexander Kurenkov reportedly arrived in the Orenburg region, on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to personally monitor the situation, while more than 700 specialists from different regions, 160 units of equipment and 70 boats were working in the area.
The Russian Investigative Committee said it had launched a criminal probe related to both 'violation of safety rules during construction work' and 'negligence'.
'What are we supposed to do?' - Dozens demand assistance from Orsk council following huge flooding in Southern Urals
Locals in Orsk marched to an administration building on Monday to attend a meeting with Mayor Vasily Kozupitsa after the city was hit with severe flooding following the breach of a protective dam.
Footage shows Kozupitsa surrounded by a large crowd as he offers the townspeople reassurances with a megaphone.
"What I want to emphasise is that both the governor and the president have assured us that Orsk will not be forsaken. There is a unified commitment to support and restore everything that has been impacted, with housing being the top priority. I want to assure each and every one of you that you will not face this adversity alone. Assessment commissions will be deployed to evaluate the extent of the damage, and funds will be allocated for the construction and restoration of new housing," the mayor said.
Meanwhile, a participant in the march said that the majority of flood victims are elderly and vulnerable.
"They are incapacitated, they will not physically build [new housing] themselves, no matter how much they want to. The number of people, private construction organisations, will not be able to absorb it," he added.
On 6 April, the Governor of the Orenburg Region, Denis Pasler, referred to the flood as the most significant in the region's history.
The regional government's press service reported that the water level in the Ural River exceeded the dam's design level by four metres, reaching 9.6 metres instead of the intended 5.5 metres.
The local Orsk administration reported the breach of the protective dam in the Old Town area late on Friday, April 5, triggering widespread flooding, with over 4,000 homes and over 10,000 people affected.
On Saturday, Orsk Mayor Vasily Kozupitsa said another section of the dam near Borisoglebsky Street in Nickel had been breached, resulting in 'water rushing into the city', and urged residents to leave their homes as soon as possible.
According to the Russian Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM), 3,900 residential houses and 8,700 plots remain flooded at the time of publication. More than 6,100 people were evacuated, with 1,213 placed in temporary accommodation centres.
EMERCOM Head Alexander Kurenkov reportedly arrived in the Orenburg region, on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to personally monitor the situation, while more than 700 specialists from different regions, 160 units of equipment and 70 boats were working in the area.
The Russian Investigative Committee said it had launched a criminal probe related to both 'violation of safety rules during construction work' and 'negligence'.
Locals in Orsk marched to an administration building on Monday to attend a meeting with Mayor Vasily Kozupitsa after the city was hit with severe flooding following the breach of a protective dam.
Footage shows Kozupitsa surrounded by a large crowd as he offers the townspeople reassurances with a megaphone.
"What I want to emphasise is that both the governor and the president have assured us that Orsk will not be forsaken. There is a unified commitment to support and restore everything that has been impacted, with housing being the top priority. I want to assure each and every one of you that you will not face this adversity alone. Assessment commissions will be deployed to evaluate the extent of the damage, and funds will be allocated for the construction and restoration of new housing," the mayor said.
Meanwhile, a participant in the march said that the majority of flood victims are elderly and vulnerable.
"They are incapacitated, they will not physically build [new housing] themselves, no matter how much they want to. The number of people, private construction organisations, will not be able to absorb it," he added.
On 6 April, the Governor of the Orenburg Region, Denis Pasler, referred to the flood as the most significant in the region's history.
The regional government's press service reported that the water level in the Ural River exceeded the dam's design level by four metres, reaching 9.6 metres instead of the intended 5.5 metres.
The local Orsk administration reported the breach of the protective dam in the Old Town area late on Friday, April 5, triggering widespread flooding, with over 4,000 homes and over 10,000 people affected.
On Saturday, Orsk Mayor Vasily Kozupitsa said another section of the dam near Borisoglebsky Street in Nickel had been breached, resulting in 'water rushing into the city', and urged residents to leave their homes as soon as possible.
According to the Russian Emergencies Ministry (EMERCOM), 3,900 residential houses and 8,700 plots remain flooded at the time of publication. More than 6,100 people were evacuated, with 1,213 placed in temporary accommodation centres.
EMERCOM Head Alexander Kurenkov reportedly arrived in the Orenburg region, on the instructions of Russian President Vladimir Putin, to personally monitor the situation, while more than 700 specialists from different regions, 160 units of equipment and 70 boats were working in the area.
The Russian Investigative Committee said it had launched a criminal probe related to both 'violation of safety rules during construction work' and 'negligence'.