Russia evacuates almost 4,500 people after dam burst

Emergency services worked through the night after a dam burst in the city of Orsk, near the border with Kazakhstan, on Friday.    

The press service of the Orenburg governor said “4,402 people, including 1,100 children” had been evacuated and more than 6,000 homes were affected by the flooding after torrential rain.  

President Vladimir Putin ordered Emergency Situations Minister Alexander Kurenkov to the region, a Kremlin spokesman said late Saturday.

Authorities also opened a criminal case for “negligence and violation of construction safety rules” over the burst dam, which was built in 2014.

Authorities said the situation was difficult throughout the region, warning of a dangerous water level on the Ural River in the main city of Orenburg.