Russia and Kazakhstan ordered more than 100,000 people to evacuate after swiftly melting snow swelled mighty rivers beyond their bursting point in the worst flooding in the area for at least 70 years.

The deluge of meltwater overwhelmed scores of settlements in the Ural Mountains, Siberia and areas of Kazakhstan close to rivers such as the Ural and Tobol, which local officials said had risen by meters in a matter of hours to the highest levels ever recorded.

Some 7,700 people have been evacuated due to flooding in Russia's Orenburg region, including 1,700 children, TASS reported on Wednesday, citing authorities.

Over 96,000 people have been evacuated in Kazakhstan since the start of floods, the Kazakh emergencies ministry said on Wednesday.

(With input from Reuters)

(Cover: Satellite image shows flooding in Orenburg, Russia, April 3, 2024. /CFP)