‘If we didn’t take them, they’d die’
A dam breach in Russia’s south forced thousands to flee their flooded homes. Volunteers describe trying to save the animals left behind. Anatoly Zhdanov / Kommersant / AP / Scanpix / LETA Orsk during flooding In early April, extreme seasonal flooding caused a dam in Russia’s Orenburg region to collapse in two places . According to the latest data, more than 10,000 houses are in the flood zone, and around 6,500 people had to be evacuated. As people fled their homes, many left pets behind.