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{{coord|45|17|59|N|78|45|17|E|type:landmark_scale:50000_region:KZ|display=title}}
{{Infobox flood
| image location = Kyzylagash ali 2010080 2.jpg
| image name = Overhead of Kyzylagash after the flood.
| name = Kyzyl-Agash Dam failure
| duration = March 2010
| areas affected =
| total fatalities = 43+
| total damages =
}}

The '''Kyzyl-Agash Dam failure''' occurred in a dam located outside the village of [[Kyzyl-Agash]], [[Almaty Province]], [[Kazakhstan]]. On 11 March 2010, the dam burst, flooding the village. At least 43 people were killed, 211 people were injured, and over 1000 evacuated from the village.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://sputniknews.com/world/20100324/158295663.html|title=Death toll in Kazakhstan floods rises to 43|publisher=Sputnik |date=24 March 2010 |accessdate=8 June 2015}}</ref><ref name="AFP">{{cite news|title=Kazakh president wants prosecutions over flooding|publisher=[[Agence France-Presse|AFP]] hosted by [[Google]]|accessdate=15 March 2010}}{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328065916/http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5h_voEzPqVAaGf-zOCXEZNGmRUKrA |date=March 28, 2010 }}</ref><ref name="Statesmen">{{cite news|url=|title=Thousands evacuated after severe floods destroyed two dams in south Kazakhstan|last=Umeed|first=Ibn e |date=12 March 2010|publisher=The Statesmen|accessdate=15 March 2010}}{{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120912051237/http://www.thestatesmen.net/news/thousands-evacuated-after-severe-floods-destroyed-two-dams-in-the-south-of-kazakhstan/ |date=September 12, 2012 }}</ref>

Opposition sources report a much higher figure for the death toll. An opposition newspaper Svoboda Slova reports that at least 200 have died, mostly children and old people, but an exact, official count is prohibited by the administration.<ref>"Svoboda slova" (Liberty of speech) No. 11 (257), March 18, 2010, "Tragedy in Kyzyl-Agash"</ref>

== Failure ==
A failure in the dam caused the [[reservoir]] to burst after torrential rain coupled with a sudden rise in temperature caused early [[snowmelt]].<ref name="AFP"/><ref name="RFERL">{{cite news|url=http://www.rferl.org/content/Kazakhstan_Detains_Officials_After_Deadly_Flood/1984015.html|title=Kazakhstan Detains Officials After Deadly Flood |date=15 March 2010|publisher=Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty|accessdate=15 March 2010}}</ref> The [[dam failure]] unleashed torrents of water about {{convert|2|m|ft}} high and washed away a bridge on a main highway connecting [[Almaty]] with the city of [[Oskemen|Ust-Kamenogorsk]] near the border with [[Russia]].<ref name="Statesmen"/><ref name="Today">{{cite news|url=http://www.todayonline.com/BreakingNews/EDC100313-0000161/Kazakhstan-flooding-death-toll-rises-to-30-as-recovery-efforts-pick-up-pace|title=Kazakhstan flooding death toll rises to 30 as recovery efforts pick up pace|date=13 March 2010 |publisher=Today Online|accessdate=15 March 2010}}</ref>

More than 600 emergency service workers traveled to the region to clear the debris and to provide tents and much-needed aid for evacuees. Security in the area was stepped up to deter looters as well.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90777/90851/6918729.html|title=Death toll from southern Kazakhstan floods rises to 35|date=14 March 2010|publisher=People's Daily Online|accessdate=18 March 2010}}</ref> A temporary camp, with a field hospital, has been established to look after at least 1000 evacuees from Kyzyl-Agash and the Kazakh military dispatched units to the area to assist.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://finchannel.com/news_flash/World/60260_Floods_kill_at_least_28_in_south_Kazakhstan/|title=Floods kill at least 28 in south Kazakhstan|date=13 March 2010|publisher=The Financial|accessdate=18 March 2010}}</ref> Kazakhstan's [[Prime Minister of Kazakhstan|Prime Minister]], [[Karim Massimov]], also traveled to the region to personally supervise the relief efforts.<ref name="Today"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia/2010/03/2010313135443279239.html|title=Dam burst destroys Kazakh village |date=14 March 2010|publisher=Al Jazeera |accessdate=15 March 2010}}</ref>

[[President of Kazakhstan|President]] [[Nursultan Nazarbayev]] ordered an investigation into the incident, issuing a statement in which he said "the general prosecutors or the interior ministry should open a criminal probe against the owner of the reservoir. It should be made responsible for the death of so many people".<ref name="AFP"/> The Interior Ministry have said that Kazakh police have detained several regional officials, including the mayor of Kyzyl-Agash.<ref name="RFERL"/> The government has allocated 600 million [[Kazakhstani tenge|tenge]] ($4.1 million) to provide compensation to people affected by the disaster and to deal with its effects.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n213307|title=RIA Novosti: Death toll from southern Kazakhstan flood rises to 37 |date=16 March 2010|publisher=Focus Information Agency|accessdate=18 March 2010}}</ref>

The day before, another dam was washed away in the nearby [[Karatal District]]. The village Zhybulak was flooded, and many of the 820 residents of the flooded 140 homes had been evacuated into a nearby school.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/03/15/kazakhstan-flood-kills-47-leaves-hundreds-homeless/|title=Kazakhstan: Flood Kills 47, Leaves Hundreds Homeless|last=Nurmakov |first=Adil |date=15 March 2010|publisher=Global Voices|accessdate=15 March 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://top.rbc.ru/incidents/12/03/2010/379181.shtml|title=Число жертв наводнения в Казахстане достигло 20 человек |date=12 March 2010|publisher=РосБизнесКонсалтинг|accessdate=8 June 2015}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:2010 natural disasters]]
[[Category:2010 floods]]
[[Category:Dam failures]]
[[Category:Floods in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:2010 in Kazakhstan]]
[[Category:Orphaned articles from March 2010]]
[[Category:Dams in Kazakhstan]]

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