Kyzyl-Agash Dam
Encyclopedia
The Kyzyl-Agash Dam failure occurred in a dam located outside the village of Kyzyl-Agash, Almaty Province
, Kazakhstan
. On 11 March 2010, the dam burst, flooding the village. At least 43 people were killed, an additional 300 people were injured, and over 1000 evacuated from the village.
Opposition sources report a much higher figure for the death toll, an opposition newspaper Svoboda Slova reports that at least 200 have died, mostly children and old people, but an exact, official count is prohibited by the administration.
to burst after torrential rain coupled with a sudden rise in temperature caused early snowmelt
. The dam failure unleashed torrents of water about 2 metres (6.6 ft) high and washed away a bridge on a main highway connecting Almaty
with the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk
near the border with Russia
.
More than 600 emergency service workers traveled to the region to clear the debris and to provide tents and much-needed aid for evacuees. Security in the area was stepped up to deter looters as well. A temporary camp, with a field hospital, has been established to look after at least 1000 evacuees from Kyzyl-Agash and the Kazakh military dispatched units to the area to assist. Kazakhstan's Prime Minister
, Karim Massimov
, also traveled to the region to personally supervise the relief efforts.
President
Nursultan Nazarbayev
ordered an investigation into the incident, issuing a statement in which he said "the general prosecutors or the interior ministry should open a criminal probe against the owner of the reservoir. It should be made responsible for the death of so many people". The Interior Ministry have said that Kazakh police have detained several regional officials, including the mayor of Kyzyl-Agash. The government has allocated 600 million tenge ($4.1 million) to provide compensation to people affected by the disaster and to deal with its effects.
The following day another dam was washed away in the nearby Karatalsky district. A village was flooded, but many of the 820 people had already been evacuated.
Almaty Province
Almaty is a province of Kazakhstan. Its capital is Taldykorgan, which has a population of 118,400. The province itself has 1,603,700 people.-Geography:...
, Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan , officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country in Central Asia and Eastern Europe. Ranked as the ninth largest country in the world, it is also the world's largest landlocked country; its territory of is greater than Western Europe...
. On 11 March 2010, the dam burst, flooding the village. At least 43 people were killed, an additional 300 people were injured, and over 1000 evacuated from the village.
Opposition sources report a much higher figure for the death toll, an opposition newspaper Svoboda Slova reports that at least 200 have died, mostly children and old people, but an exact, official count is prohibited by the administration.
Failure
A failure in the dam caused the reservoirReservoir
A reservoir , artificial lake or dam is used to store water.Reservoirs may be created in river valleys by the construction of a dam or may be built by excavation in the ground or by conventional construction techniques such as brickwork or cast concrete.The term reservoir may also be used to...
to burst after torrential rain coupled with a sudden rise in temperature caused early snowmelt
Snowmelt
In hydrology, snowmelt is surface runoff produced from melting snow. It can also be used to describe the period or season during which such runoff is produced. Water produced by snowmelt is an important part of the annual water cycle in many parts of the world, in some cases contributing high...
. The dam failure unleashed torrents of water about 2 metres (6.6 ft) high and washed away a bridge on a main highway connecting Almaty
Almaty
Almaty , also known by its former names Verny and Alma-Ata , is the former capital of Kazakhstan and the nation's largest city, with a population of 1,348,500...
with the city of Ust-Kamenogorsk
Oskemen
Oskemen and Ust-Kamennaya , is the capital of the East Kazakhstan Province. It is served by the Ust-Kamenogorsk Airport.-History:...
near the border with Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
More than 600 emergency service workers traveled to the region to clear the debris and to provide tents and much-needed aid for evacuees. Security in the area was stepped up to deter looters as well. A temporary camp, with a field hospital, has been established to look after at least 1000 evacuees from Kyzyl-Agash and the Kazakh military dispatched units to the area to assist. Kazakhstan's Prime Minister
Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
-Chairmen of the Council of People's Commissars:*Viktor Radus-Zenkovich *Mukhamedkhafiy Murzagaliyev *Saken Seyfullin *Nygmet Nurmakov...
, Karim Massimov
Karim Massimov
Karim Qajymqanuly Massimov has served as Prime Minister in the Government of Kazakhstan since 10 January 2007.Massimov is fluent in Kazakh, Russian, Chinese, English, and Arabic. He studied in China and worked in Hong Kong where he headed Kazakhstan's trading operations. At the same time, he is...
, also traveled to the region to personally supervise the relief efforts.
President
President of Kazakhstan
President of Kazakhstan is the head of state, supreme commander-in-chief and holder of the highest office within the Kazakhstan. The authorities of this position are described in special section of Constitution of Kazakhstan....
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Nazarbayev
Nursultan Abishuly Nazarbayev has served as the President of Kazakhstan since the nation received its independence in 1991, after the fall of the Soviet Union...
ordered an investigation into the incident, issuing a statement in which he said "the general prosecutors or the interior ministry should open a criminal probe against the owner of the reservoir. It should be made responsible for the death of so many people". The Interior Ministry have said that Kazakh police have detained several regional officials, including the mayor of Kyzyl-Agash. The government has allocated 600 million tenge ($4.1 million) to provide compensation to people affected by the disaster and to deal with its effects.
The following day another dam was washed away in the nearby Karatalsky district. A village was flooded, but many of the 820 people had already been evacuated.