“Perhaps it is the biggest disaster in terms of its scale and consequences for the last 80 years,” said President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev while addressing the nation on April 6 amid the devastating floods that wreaked havoc across the country’s regions, leaving hundreds homeless, Paralel.Az reports citing The Astana Times.

According to the latest data from the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan, since the beginning of the floods last week, 3,171 private residential houses and 179 residential areas remain flooded in six regions. At least 46,755 people, including 14,589 children, were rescued and evacuated, and 60,000 farm animals were driven away to safe areas.

At the same time, 2,602 people were evacuated by air, including 759 children. Temporary accommodation centers host 12,541 people, including 6,439 children.

A state of emergency is declared in 10 regions of Kazakhstan, said Tokayev.

“We must learn all the lessons from these massive floods. There are many, starting from the shortcomings in the organizational measures to prevent natural disasters, the shortage of skilled personnel in water management, and ending with our negligent attitude towards nature,” the Kazakh President noted.