BUCHAREST: Severe overnight floods in eastern Romania killed one person and damaged thousands of homes, with hundreds of people evacuated and three helicopters searching for stranded villagers, officials said today.
Some 25 villages across nine counties were affected by heavy rain and high winds, which tore off roofs and uprooted trees, blocking traffic on some national roads, the emergency response agency said.
The worst hit were Neamt and Suceava counties in eastern Romania, where two rivers burst their banks, killing a 66-year-old man and forcing hundreds of people to evacuate.
All access roads to the village of Brosteni in Suceava county were blocked.
The environment ministry’s water management agency said some rivers saw record high water levels.
Repair works on collapsed bridges were underway, it said.