6 districts in Abai region at high risk of flooding

According to Kazhydromet’s Abai region branch, large amounts of snow have accumulated in the six districts as well as in the city of Semey.

“In flat areas, snow cover reaches up to 55 cm, while in some districts the depth of soil freezing has reached 105–136 cm. Specialists classify the Aksuat, Ayagoz, Beskaragay, Borodulikha, Zharma, and Kokpekty districts as high flood-risk areas. A sharp rise in temperatures, as well as rainfall or snowfall, could lead to ice jams on rivers and increase the risk of flooding from overflowing small rivers and temporary channels,” Kazhydromet said in a statement.

The total length of roads in the Abai region is 4,462 km, including 162 bridges and 1,745 culverts. The railway network stretches 733 km and includes 265 bridges and 330 culverts.

“Culverts along local road and railway networks are currently being cleared of snow. More than 300,000 cubic meters of snow have already been removed from settlements across the region,” the Abai region akimat reported.

Based on experience from previous flood seasons, nine sections of regional highways and ten sections of district-level roads have been identified as high-risk flood zones and placed under special monitoring.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that rescue operations were carried out in the Turkistan region after heavy rainfall caused river water levels to rise.