Water was oozing out of the dam.
The dam that broke in Orsk on Friday evening had been causing concern among people living nearby for several days before the breakthrough.
According to local residents, a few days before the dam burst, they noticed that water was oozing out from under it, after which they invited a priest to hold a prayer service in the hope of avoiding flooding.
The residents also informed the local authorities about the danger and tried to solve the problem themselves – they tried to fill the leak with earth brought by tractor.
The mayor of the city, Vasiliy Kozupitsa, decided to personally inspect the dam, after which he stated that it “will bear the load that will come here”. They also summoned a special commission through the district administration to assess the condition of the structure.
“They said, it’s fine, don’t worry. There was even a dam specialist there who told us: “Well, why are you causing panic? Why are you calling us, we also run [to every call], we always look. Everything is normal, everything is complete, it will withstand the water,” local residents told the Russian media.
