MOSCOW, April 8. /TASS/. Almost 600 people have been evacuated in Russia’s Kurgan Region due to spring floods, the regional branch of the Emergencies Ministry said in a statement.

"A preventive evacuation of local residents is being carried out in areas facing the threat of flooding <...>. As of 9:00 a.m. local time (4:00 a.m. GMT - TASS) on April 8, a total of 571 people were evacuated. As many as 482 evacuees decided to stay with their relatives, while 89 are staying at six temporary accommodation centers," the statement reads.

Eight residential buildings, 21 households and five sections of highway have been flooded. The flood may further engulf 32 bridges, an airport and five economic entities. "Efforts are underway to increase the number of ministry personnel involved in preventive activities aimed at reducing the impact of a potential emergency situation. Additional teams have arrived from the Urals Training Rescue Center and the Urals Search and Rescue Unit, which include 100 personnel and 31 pieces of equipment, particularly, seven boats," the ministry’s branch noted.

The region has been put on high alert, while a state of emergency has been declared in the Zverinogolovsky Municipal District. Kurgan Region Governor Vadim Shumkov said earlier that the risk of flooding had gone up following a move by the authorities in Kazakhstan’s Kostanay Region to increase the discharge of water from reservoirs 20-fold above the planned level.