Video: Russia faces severe flooding as snow melts in Ural mountains

Russia is currently experiencing severe flooding, particularly in the western Ural Mountains and Siberia.

The floods are caused by melting snow and ice in mountainous areas, causing water levels to rise in some of Europe’s largest rivers. The city of Orenburg, near the border with Kazakhstan, is facing its worst flooding in decades, with water levels rising rapidly and more than 10,000 residential buildings submerged. The entire region of Tyumen in western Siberia has been declared in a state of emergency due to the increasing risk of flooding.

The Ural River, which flows through Orenburg and into Kazakhstan, has reached dangerous levels, prompting thousands of residents to evacuate their homes. Orenburg, the regional capital with a population of 550,000, is also facing a dire situation as floodwaters rise. In the south, much of the city of Orsk was flooded after heavy rains caused nearby dams to burst.