Thousands of people have been forced to evacuate their homes following severe floods in the Russian city of Orsk.

Orsk, in Russia’s Orenburg region, is close to the Kazakh border, around 1,800 km east of Moscow.

The situation, described as "critical" by the government, began after torrential rain caused a dam near Orsk to burst, exacerbating already-serious flooding. Images depict Orsk inundated, with only the tops of cars visible amidst the deluge. Evacuation efforts are underway, with over 4,500 people already relocated and more than 6,500 homes flooded across the entire Orenburg region.

In response to the crisis, Russia has declared a federal emergency in the southern Orenburg region, where the Ural River continues to rise, posing a threat to the rest of Orsk and the nearby regional capital, Orenburg. Orsk has a population of around 200,000, while Orenburg City itself has more than half a million.

“The water is coming, and in the coming days its level will only rise,” said Sergei Salmin, the mayor of Orenburg City. “The flood situation remains critical.”

President Vladimir Putin has ordered the mobilisation of resources,  directing Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov to oversee relief efforts. The Kremlin has also issued warnings for other part of Siberia, ordering that local administrations begin preparations for potential floods in Siberia's Kurgan and Tyumen regions. 

The catastrophe also extends beyond Russia's borders, affecting parts of Kazakhstan. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev labelled the floods as Kazakhstan's most significant natural disaster in eight decades.