Astana and Moscow declared a state of emergency yesterday as floods ravaged cities and villages in Russia and Kazakhstan. The worst floods in decades have submerged entire cities, forcing more than 100,000 people to be evacuated from the region. In Russia, over 6,500 people were evacuated from the Ural and Tobol rivers, while in Kazakhstan, more than 86,000 people were rescued and evacuated. Despite the crisis, President Putin has not made plans to visit the affected areas but remains closely engaged in the situation. Meanwhile, a 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck the Moluccas Islands in eastern Indonesia without any tsunami warnings issued.
