Nearly 13,000 people evacuated in Russia’s Kurgan Region over flooding – Government

YEKATERINBURG, Russia, April 15 (Sputnik) – As many as 12,782 people have been evacuated in Russia’s Kurgan Region to prevent residents and properties from being inundated by strong floodwaters, the regional government said on Monday.

“As of 10:00 [5:00 GMT], April 15, 12,782 people have been evacuated from the villages where water had already arrived and from the residential areas at risk of drowning,” the authorities said in a statement.

Currently, there are 825 people in temporary accommodation centers, including 156 children, the authorities added.

The water level in the Tobol River close to the city of Kurgan is expected to keep increasing from April 15-18, the Ural Weather Forecast Center warned.

“The water is expected to exceed the unfavorable level (700 centimeters [275.5 inches]) and dangerous level (850 centimeters [334.6 inches]), flooding the coastal areas located within the river floodplain, floodplain lakes, channels and oxbow lakes,” the center said in a statement.

Meanwhile, the situation with drinking water in the area remains stable, Kurgan Region Governor Vadim Shumkov said.

[Russian consumer watchdog] Rospotrebnadzor conducts sampling every day. There have been no disruptions or quality deterioration so far. At the same time, the population was instructed to stock up on some water. We have also launched two water purifying stations,” Shumkov told the Rossiya 24 TV broadcaster.

Russian regions located in the Ural Mountains and Siberia have been grappling for weeks with strong floods sparked by rapid snowmelt and rising water levels in rivers. The regions of Kurgan, Orenburg and Tyumen have declared a state of emergency. The situation in the city of Orsk in the Orenburg Region worsened after a dam burst in early April, which prompted the mass evacuation of local residents.