A man tows an inflatable boat along a flooded street in in the settlement of Ivanovskoye, Orenburg region, Russia, April 10, 2024. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File PhotoORENBURG, Russia, April 10 -
Swiftly-melting snow has swelled several major rivers, including the Ural, which runs through Orenburg towards the Caspian Sea. Whole areas of the city were underwater on Wednesday and at least 7,700 residents were evacuated. "Something like this happened in my life only during the Soviet years, in 1980 and 1986," 70-year-old resident Vladimir told Reuters as he took in the view.
Valentin Perednya piloted a motorboat along the streets of Zarya, a hamlet some 9 miles southwest of Orenburg, where brown water lapped at the first-floor windows of houses. Down one of the streets, a ladder leaned against a house leading to the roof where two tents had been erected. Inside one of the tents was Valentin's wife, Evgenia, and the family dog and cat. She said the couple had fled their home at three in the morning after being told by local officials that the waters were rising rapidly.