Officials have said that thousands of people have been evacuated in Russia as rivers rise in the annual spring flood brought on by melting snow.

RIA Novosti has reported that a state of emergency was declared in Arkhangelsk. The city is in the far north, near the River Dvina's outlet to the White Sea.

It was further reported that about 3,500 people have been forced from their homes by flooding, and emergency shelters have opened.

In Tomsk in southern Siberia, the Ushayka River continued to rise Thursday, and evacuations were under way.

Reports further revealed that in the Kirov district, just west of the Urals in European Russia, flooding in the Vyatka River has caused pollution of the water supply, leaving it unsafe for drinking or washing, officials say. Bottled water is being distributed in the area.

About 3,500 Russian cities are at risk from annual floods, especially in areas where ice blocks narrow rivers, forming temporary dams. (With Inputs from Agencies)