Russia Orders Fresh Evacuations In Siberia Over Flood Fears

Russia on Tuesday began fresh evacuations from towns and villages in western Siberia threatened by devastating floods, as Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with people evacuated from rising water on his side of the border

Moscow, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 16th Apr, 2024) Russia on Tuesday began fresh evacuations from towns and villages in western Siberia threatened by devastating floods, as Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with people evacuated from rising water on his side of the border.

Russia and Kazakhstan have been hit by the worst floods in decades, as massive rivers rise with their ice cover melting.

The floods are expected to peak this week on Siberia's Tobol and Ishim rivers.

The governor of the Tyumen region, Alexander Moor, said emergency services had begun "urgent evacuations" from towns expected to be inundated.

"Pack your valuables. Leave now for a safe place, to relatives or to a temporary accommodation centre," Moor said on social media.

In Tyumen, the level of the Ishim river reached "critical" levels of 808 centimetres in some areas, local authorities said.

Some 67,000 residents of Ishim, a town with the same name, were urged to flee via text message.

In the neighbouring Kurgan region, the level of the Tobol river rose by 111 centimetres over the last day, reaching 742 centimetres, authorities said.

The residents of 21 towns and villages have been asked to leave their homes.

Russian Emergencies Minister Alexander Kurenkov and the governor of Kurgan, Vadim Shumkov, inspected flooded regions by helicopter on Tuesday, the ministry said.