Melt waters besiege villages in eastern Kazakhstan

Several villages have been flooded with melt waters in eastern Kazakhstan, Tengrinews reports citing Channel 7.

Warm weather got the snow to melt very fast and the level of water in the region's water basins went so high that melt water started spilling over and flooding the nearby residential areas. The region's Emergency Department staff and rescue teams are working to remedy the situation.

"The situation was worst in Glubovskoi region. The melt water were coming down from nearby hills. We were building protective dams and water diverting channels, and helped the local residents pump away the water. We keep things in the area under control," Head of Information and Analysis Office of East Kazakhstan Oblast Emergency Department Yevgeny Shaturny said. Since the situation has been taken under control there in no need for evacuation of the local population, the rescuers said, continuing to pump way the melt waters.

However the Emergency Department does not preclude that the water level will rise again causing more flooding. They asked the local population to be vigilant, but not panic and recommended them to move their valuables and food stores to upper floors or attics and always carry their IDs.

This year the first flooding in East Kazakhstan Oblast was registered in late January when the Kalguta River overflowed damaging farms in Kurchum region. In a series of more recent floods melt water flooded the central market in Semey and The Brazhy Ruchey river overflowed in Ust-Kamenogorsk city last week.