"Putin, help us": Russians hold protests outraged by government's poor response to flood – video

The residents of the Russian city of Orsk have started a protest due to the insufficient compensation provided to those affected by a massive flood by the authorities.

Source: Russian Telegram-channels Agenstvo.Novosti, Baza, Mash, Meduza media outlet

Details: The outrage was caused by the amount of compensation and the Ministry of Internal Affairs claiming that people were urged to evacuate a week before the incident.

The protesters accused the authorities of lying about the evacuation from the city allegedly being announced a week before the dam burst.

On Saturday, Denis Pasler, the governor of Orenburg Oblast, reported that people affected by the flood would receive RUB 20,000 (about US$216) right away and from RUB 50,000 to 100,000 (about US$540-1,080) "if they lose property". Those who gathered in the square demanded bigger compensation since some Russians had lost their houses.

In the video, protesters can be heard telling the mayor: "If water flows into the city, then it’s because you let it happen, which means you are not doing your duties!" They also recalled that three days before the flood they had been assured it would not burst.

The Russian Prosecutor’s Office tried to prevent the protest and claimed it was "illegal".

Some protesters also went to the governor of the region who claimed afterwards that criminal cases were opened against "those responsible for the [bursting of the] dam".

Russian media reported that as of the morning of 8 April, 6,689 houses, including 133 apartment buildings, 25 schools and kindergartens and 9 medical institutions were in the flooding zone. 1,375 evacuated people were placed in temporary accommodation centres.

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