Russian President Vladimir Putin sent the Minister of Emergencies to the city of Orsk in the Orenburg region, where an oil refinery suspended operations and thousands of people were evacuated due to major flooding.
Authorities in Russia ordered the evacuation of parts of the city after a dam collapsed on Friday, adding to existing flooding in the area following recent heavy rains.
Alexander Korenkov, Russia's Minister of Emergency Situations, described the situation as critical and said more than 4,500 residential buildings were flooded, Interfax news agency reported on Sunday. The Minister proposed classifying the flood as a federal emergency.
Facility operators revealed via Telegram that the oil refinery in Orsk had suspended operations due to rising water levels. The production capacity of the refinery, affiliated with Forteinvest, is about 6 million tons annually, and it produces gasoline and diesel for local and export markets, according to its website.
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