Over 11,000 People Evacuated in Romania in the Face of Floods
Over 11,000 People Evacuated in Romania in the Face of Floods
Twentythree people have died, four have been reported missing and over 11,000 were evacuated from homes in northern, northeastern and part of central regions in Romania, which have been severely affected by floods. Emergency teams rescued dozens of people after a flash flood swept through five villages in Romania Tuesday, inundating houses and damaging roads and bridges.
“Everybody was asleep. People took refuge wherever they could, some in the attics, and waited to be rescued,” said Silviu Boldor, the mayor of one of the flooded villages.
In Arad county, also in western Romania, hundreds of acres of wheat and other crops were flooded, and dozens of roofs were damaged in a hail storm
Romania’s Interior Minister Vasile Blaga Tuesday evening said 23 people in northeastern counties of Suceava, Botosani, Bacau, central counties of Cluj and Alba, and eastern county of Vrancea, have died in the past seven days following massive floods. Fourteen people have died over the past 24 hours, Blaga said.
Blaga asked prefects to quickly proceed to the evacuation of people in flood-hit areas and also urged police squads to do their job. Blaga told prefects and deputy prefects in flood-hit counties that rescuing people must become top priority and stressed things are getting worse as weather reports are not so optimistic. Blaga also asked prefects to present accurate reports regarding people killed in the recent floods and stressed victims’ families will receive 5,000 lei (EUR1=RON 4.3523) each from the Government’s reserve fund.
Blaga also said 136 localities in 18 counties countrywide have been affected by floods in the past 24 hours and 1,768 people have been evacuated. He also said the damages caused by floods will exceed 0.6% of the gross domestic product, adding Romania will resort to the European Union’s Solidarity Fund
Prime Minister Emil Boc said Tuesday evening that the authorities’ main priority is to provide aid to evacuees and to those whose houses have been destroyed by the floods. The prime minister ordered that they receive mineral water, blankets and canned goods. Boc explained that the first step in the relief effort is an appraisal of the damage caused by the flood. Boc added that flood relief money will be allotted by the Government, but that the European Union’s Solidarity Fund will also be contacted to provide assistance in rebuilding the damaged infrastructure.
Mihai Arhip, prefect of northeastern county of Neamt, Tuesday evening ordered the evacuation of over 11,000 people in seven villages along the river Siret, which is expected to keep overflowing. Flood-hit counties of Neamt, Suceava and Iasi have been under state of emergency since Tuesday evening.
Romania has been severely hit by floods, which claimed 19 lives, left thousands stranded and damaged homes, farmland and pastures and weather authorities have extended a code yellow alert for heavy rainfall for 18 counties in the eastern, southeastern and south-central parts of the country until Thursday morning.
Romania suffered heavy flooding in 2005 and 2007, when scores of villages and towns were inundated. Seven people died in the 2007 disaster.
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