Kyzyl-Agash Dam failure
The Kyzyl-Agash Dam was a dam located outside the village of Kyzyl-Agash, Kazakhstan. On 11 March 2010, the dam burst, flooding the village. At least 43 people were killed, an additional 300 people were injured,[1] and over 1000 evacuated from the village.[2][3][4]
Opposition sources report a much higher figure for the death toll, an opposition newspaper Svoboda Slova reports that at least 200 have died, mostly children and old people, but an exact, official count is prohibited by the administration [5]
History
Failure
| Date | March 2010 |
|---|---|
| Deaths | 43+ |
The dam, which held a man-made reservoir, burst after torrential rain coupled with a sudden rise in temperature caused early snowmelt.[3][6] The dam failure unleashed torrents of water almost 2 metres (6.6 ft) high and washed away a bridge on a main highway connecting Almaty with the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk near the border with Russia.[4][7]
More than 600 emergency service workers have travelled to the region to clear the debris and to provide tents and much-needed aid for evacuees. Security in the area was stepped up to deter looters.[8] A temporary camp, with a field hospital, has been established to look after at least 1000 evacuees from Kyzyl-Agash and the Kazakh military dispatched units to the area to assist.[9] Kazakhstan's Prime Minister, Karim Massimov, also travelled to the region to personally supervise the relief efforts.[7][10] Eight people were killed after a rescue helicopter crashed shortly after take off in Makanchi village, the cause of the crash is not yet known.[11]
President Nursultan Nazarbayev ordered an investigation into the incident, issuing a statement in which he said "the general prosecutors or the interior ministry should open a criminal probe against the owner of the reservoir. It should be made responsible for the death of so many people".[3] The Interior Ministry have said that Kazakh police have detained several regional officials, including the mayor of Kyzyl-Agash.[6] The government has allocated 600 million tenge ($4.1 million) to provide compensation to people affected by the disaster and to deal with its effects.[12]
The following day another dam was washed away in the nearby Karatalsky district. A village was flooded, but many of the 820 people had already been evacuated.[13][14]
References
- ^ "Kazakhstan flood death toll rises to 40". Washington Post. 18 March 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
- ^ "Death toll in Kazakhstan floods rises to 43". Retrieved 24 March 2010.
- ^ a b c "Kazakh president wants prosecutions over flooding". AFP hosted by Google. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- ^ a b Umeed, Ibn e (12 March 2010). "Thousands evacuated after severe floods destroyed two dams in south Kazakhstan". The Statesmen. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- ^ "Svoboda slova" (Liberty of speech) No. 11 (257), March 18, 2010, "Tragedy in Kyzyl-Agash"
- ^ a b "Kazakhstan Detains Officials After Deadly Flood". Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty. 15 march 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b "Kazakhstan flooding death toll rises to 30 as recovery efforts pick up pace". Today Online. 13 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- ^ "Death toll from southern Kazakhstan floods rises to 35". People's Daily Online. 14 March 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
- ^ "Floods kill at least 28 in south Kazakhstan". The Financial. 13 March 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
- ^ "Dam burst destroys Kazakh village". Al Jazeera. 14 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- ^ "28 killed in Kazakhstan chopper crash, flood". Sify.com. 12 March 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
- ^ "RIA Novosti: Death toll from southern Kazakhstan flood rises to 37". Focus Information Agency. 16 March 2010. Retrieved 18 March 2010.
- ^ Nurmakov, Adil (15 March 2010). "Kazakhstan: Flood Kills 47, Leaves Hundreds Homeless". Global Voices. Retrieved 15 March 2010.
- ^ "Thousands evacuated after dams burst in Kazakhstan". Free Malaysia Today. 12 March 2010. Retrieved 15 March 2010.