Evacuation Order in Chelyabinsk Following Dam Burst

After heavy rains caused a dam to burst in Chelyabinsk, Russia, Governor Aleksei Teksler ordered preventative evacuations in Miass. The city faces rising water levels, prompting safety measures for its 160,000 residents. Initial evacuations began last week for nearby villages in the Ural mountains.

The governor of Russia's west-central Chelyabinsk region ordered preventative evacuations in a small city on Monday after heavy rains caused a dam to burst last week, the TASS state news agency reported. Aleksei Teksler was quoted by TASS as saying that evacuations were underway in the city of Miass, which has roughly 160,000 residents.

"There is a risk that the water will reach residential houses. It is still rising, so a decision has been made to start preventive evacuations of residents in order to ensure their safety. At the moment, this work is underway," Teksler told Rossiya-24 state television, TASS reported. Strong rains last week burst a 100-metre section of a dam and prompted officials on Friday to evacuate several villages in the southern Ural mountains.