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Warning siren goes off in Russia’s city of Orenburg as river water rises to 914 cm

Sergey Salmin also urged people in some of the city’s neighborhoods to take children, the elderly, the disabled and pets out of the area that can be flooded

ORENBURG, April 9. /TASS/. A warning siren went off in the Russian Ural Mountains city of Orenburg as the water level in the nearby river rose to 914 centimeters by 7 p.m. local time, according to City Mayor Sergey Salmin.

"The water level in the Ural River rose sharply to the 914 cm mark. If it reaches the level of 930, new areas will be flooded. The situation is very serious as the water may rush in rapidly," the mayor wrote on Telegram.

The sounding of the warning siren was not a drill, he said. It warned people that the risk of flooding in the city was extremely serious, according to the official.

Salmin also urged people in some of the city’s neighborhoods to take children, the elderly, the disabled and pets out of the area that can be flooded. They should also pack documents and valuables, and remove their vehicles from the area, he said.

"Take this warning seriously. An emergency evacuation could be announced in the next few hours," the mayor said.

Water broke through a dam in Orsk overnight into April 6. According to the latest data, more than 10,000 homes were flooded in the Orenburg Region, and about 6,500 people were evacuated. A federal-level emergency has been declared in the region. The water level is expected to peak on April 10.

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