Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday called on residents of flood-hit regions to follow calls to evacuate, as waters continue to rise in the Siberian regions of Kurgan and Tyumen.
“Why don’t people leave? They are afraid for their property, their homes. We must convince them that everything will be protected
,” launched the Russian president during a videoconference with the governors of the affected regions, in particular those of Kurgan, Tyumen and Orenburg, images of which were broadcast on television. Several people interviewed by AFP in recent days in the Orenburg region said they feared looting.
3000 houses flooded
In the Kurgan region,
“more than 14,300 people were evacuated from flooded territories, including 1,833 children
,” noted the region's governor, Vadim Shumkov, during the meeting with Mr. Putin. According to Mr. Shumkov, more than 3,000 houses in 25 localities were flooded in his region, washed by the Tobol River, the water of which has been rising for several days. Residents of the city of Kurgan itself, which has some 300,000 inhabitants and some neighborhoods of which are already flooded, were also called to quickly evacuate.
“Take your children and your disabled and elderly loved ones, do not leave your pets in risk areas. (...) Go! “Don’t wait for the water to approach your home
,” city authorities warned on Telegram. For the moment, some 435 people have been evacuated in the neighboring region of Tyumen, washed by the Ishim River which is also in flood. But local authorities expect the situation to worsen in the coming days.
“We are waiting for the wave which should come from the Kurgan region”
, with a water level which could exceed by more than 2 meters a record reached in 2017, declared the regional governor, Alexandre Moor. In Orenburg, at the heart of the floods in recent days, the level of the Ural River began to fall, but still remained high, 1099 cm, said the Orenburg town hall.
The floods affecting these Russian regions - as well as neighboring Kazakhstan - are caused by intense rains associated with rising temperatures and increased melting of snow and ice. According to scientists, global warming is favoring extreme weather events like heavy precipitation.