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Thousands Flee Homes in Eastern Europe to Escape Record Flooding
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http://enews.voanews.com/t?ctl=11D7E4C:3919ACA Romania, Serbia,
Bulgaria, Hungary have declared state of emergency in flood-stricken
regions





Scene of flooding in RomaniaThousands of people are being evacuated
across Eastern Europe because of heavy flooding. Romania, Serbia,
Bulgaria and Hungary have declared a state of emergency in
flood-stricken regions.

As the floodwaters keep rising, officials in Romania are sounding
alarms to warn villagers who live close to the Danube River that they
must leave their homes. Many days of heavy rain and the melting of
this winter's record snows have combined to send the Danube, the
region's largest river, to the highest levels in more than 100 years.

On Monday, over three-thousand people were evacuated from the village
of Rast and surrounding territory in southern Romania after the river
breached a dam and flooded the area.

In many parts of the Balkans, beleaguered emergency crews and soldiers
are struggling to keep embankments and sand barriers from giving way.

More than 44,000 hectares in southern Romania's wheat and corn growing
regions are already under water. Officials say they will flood another
26,000 hectares this week to help protect heavily populated areas.
Many people in the affected areas are poor farmers living in rundown
homes without insurance.



In neighboring Bulgaria, several port cities have been flooded. In
Serbia several towns and villages are also trying to cope with floods.
Even parts of the capital, Belgrade, located near the Sava River and
the Danube, have been submerged, including the city's ancient
fortress.

Hungary is also suffering under heavy flooding. Prime Minister Ferenc
Gyurscany has rushed to oversee rescue efforts in central Hungary
because of the flooding along the country's second largest river, the
Tisza.

Mr. Gyurcsany, speaking in the central town of Szolnok, urges people
to remain calm. He says he is confident that the floods will be
contained and that the government has earmarked enough funds to supply
emergency aid.

Flooding in the Balkans last year left dozens of people dead. This
year officials in the region say they are doing all they can to keep
the death toll down.