More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from areas in southern Russia and neighboring Kazakhstan due to massive floods triggered by a burst dam.

The southern Russian region of Orenburg has been swamped after the dam embankment was breached on Friday by Ural River waters swollen by melting snow caused by rising temperatures. The river flows from the southern Ural Mountains.

State-run TASS news agency says about 13,000 houses have been inundated, and close to 8,000 people have been evacuated.

Footage taken from the hard-hit city of Orsk shows streets turning into rivers with many homes flooded. Satellite images in various locations show muddy waters covering wide areas.

Reuters news agency reported that Kazakhstan had evacuated nearly 100,000 people as of Wednesday. It said the affected areas have experienced the worst flooding for at least 70 years.

The Kremlin expects the flood situation will continue to be difficult, as the water level in the Ural River remains high.

Russian presidential spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday that the floods are at the center of President Vladimir Putin's attention, and that he has been regularly briefed on the situation.