Record floods in Russia force thousands to evacuate
STORY: Flood waters triggered by melting snow have hit a large area stretching from Russia's Ural mountains to the border area with Kazakhstan, flooding at least 10,000 homes and forcing thousands of people to flee with just their pets and a few belongings.
The Ural River, which rises in the Ural Mountains and flows into the Caspian Sea, swelled several meters in just hours on Friday due to melt water.
Footage published by the Emergencies Ministry showed people making their way through neck-high waters, rescuing stranded dogs and traveling along flooded roads in boats and canoes.
Agencies quoted authorities as saying the Samara River in the town of Buzuluk, further west in Orenburg region, was also rising quickly. Measures were taken to keep residents safe.
The Orenburg region's governor, Denis Pasler, said the floods were the worst to hit the region since records began.
