Thousands forced to flee homes after melting snow triggers record flooding in Russia

More than 300 homes were flooded in the Russian city of Orenburg after the Ural River rose half a meter beyond its bursting point, officials said on Wednesday, as melting snow from the Ural Mountains triggered the worst flooding in decades. The number of people evacuated due to flooding in Russia's Orenburg region has grown to 7,700, state news agency TASS reported on Wednesday (April 10) citing local government.