TOKYO, April 8, 2024 (BSS/TASS) - North Korean leader Kim Jong Un sent a telegram of consolation to Russian President Vladimir Putin over the dam break and flood in the Orenburg region, the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) reported.

"In the message, the respected Comrade Kim Jong Un, on behalf of the DPRK government and people and on his own behalf, extended deep consolation to the Russian president and, through him, to the Russian government, people and victims upon the sad news that a lot of material losses were caused by flooding in the Orenburg Region," the statement says.

In his message the North Korean leader hoped that the government and people of Russia "would eradicate the aftermath of the natural disaster at an early date and that the inhabitants in the afflicted areas would regain their peace as soon as possible under the leadership of the Russian president." Kim Jong Un noted that "the people of the DPRK would always be with the Russian people"

The partial collapse of a dam in Orsk, Orenburg Region, occurred in two places on the night of April 6. Another breach occurred in the evening of the same day. Rising water from the Ural River flooded 6,100 homes, according to the latest data. The bodies of two people were found in the flooded area, but they weren't killed by the emergency, officials said. Authorities have declared a regional-level emergency situation and are urging residents to evacuate.