Another dam break in Russia forces mass evacuation in Buryatia

Over 200 people were evacuated after yet another dam break in Russia. This time, the disaster occurred in Buryatia. In videos posted by residents, one can see livestock being carried away by the flood wave. A mudslide killed others. A state of emergency has been declared in the region.

The disaster occurred in the Muchoribinsky district in the Asian part of Russia, which is under a state of emergency. The water flooded a stretch of highway, among other things.

Due to heavy rainfall and rising water levels, sections of the Ulan-Ude—Chita federal highway were eroded, affecting a 590-kilometre stretch of road. The water also broke three bridges, said Governor Alexei Tsydenov.

Authorities reported that from 1-4 August, due to heavy rainfall and rising river levels, three districts experienced flooding of areas and residential buildings, “disruption of transportation links, breaking of bridges, destruction of roads, and dying of livestock.”

The dam break at the Khonkholoyskoye reservoir also caused significant damage. Four settlements were in the path of the flood wave, and a hundred residents were evacuated. The water flooded a 50-kilometre stretch of the federal highway.

According to the Syrena channel, the flood triggered a mudslide in the village of Desyatnikovo, killing dozens of livestock.

The “People of Baikal” channel published three videos. Among other things, they show a traffic jam of lorries caused by the flooding of the federal highway, the breaking of one of the bridges, and cows swept away by the current, trying to swim to shore.

This is another incident related to a dam break in Russia. On 26 July, the Kialimskoje reservoir dam broke in the Chelyabinsk region of Russia, causing about 200 people to be in the flood zone.

On 29 July, the Belomorsko-Baltic Canal in Russia was devastated. According to RIA Novosti, a temporary dam between the locks broke. One person died, and 10 were injured.