24,000 people involved in round-the-clock rescue & clearance operations

Emergency workers use inflatable boats and specialist vehicles to evacuate residents from flood-stricken areas of Russia near the country's border with Kazakhstan, after fast-melting snow and ice caused rivers to surge.

According to Kazakhstan's Emergency Situations Ministry on Wednesday, since the start of the flood over 96,000 people have been rescued and evacuated. 24,000 people were involved in round-the-clock rescue and clearance operations, including pumping away water, laying barriers and carrying out blast work to prevent ice jams.

Forced evacuations were starting in the northern Kazakh city, where a surge of water is expected to arrive over the next 48 hours.