Thousands of residents in the southern region of Orenburg, Russia, have been forced to evacuate their homes after a dam on the Ural river broke in two places, leading to devastating floods. The incident, which occurred in the city of Orsk near Kazakhstan, has claimed the lives of at least three people, according to Russian state news agency TASS.

Authorities reported that a total of 4,208 people, including 1,019 children, have been evacuated from the affected region. In response to the crisis, 495 temporary accommodation centers are being prepared to house approximately 82,200 people, according to TASS.

The failure of the embankment dam has resulted in severe flooding in several districts of Orsk. Nearly 2,400 residential buildings have been flooded as the water surged into the city. The situation has prompted the declaration of a state of emergency by Sergey Salmin, the head of the Orenburg region, who urged residents to immediately leave their houses in the flood zone.

As of Saturday morning, the level of the Ural river rose to nearly double the capacity the dam was designed to handle, raising concerns about further damage. Authorities attribute the dam's failure to lack of proper maintenance and have initiated a criminal investigation, as reported by the regional prosecutor's office.

The impact of the flooding has not been confined to Russia alone, as neighboring Kazakhstan is also experiencing the effects. Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev described the floods as one of the country's largest natural disasters in 80 years, highlighting the significant scale of the event.

With the safety and well-being of affected residents as the top priority, local authorities are mobilizing rescue and relief efforts to provide assistance to those in need. The response involves the participation of police officers, who will enforce the mandatory evacuation of residents who refuse to leave the danger zone voluntarily.

Orsk, a city with a population of approximately 230,000, stands near the border between Russia and Kazakhstan, making it particularly vulnerable to the impact of the flooding.

As the situation unfolds, efforts to mitigate the damage caused by the dam break and subsequent flooding will continue, while authorities work towards ensuring the safety and welfare of the affected population.