BUCHAREST, Romania, April 19 (UPI) -- Some 6,600 people in Romania have fled their homes as the Danube River flooded as far as six miles onto land Wednesday, submerging 129 villages.
Romania's environment ministry allowed low-lying agricultural areas to flood to spare more populated areas from the seasonal flooding caused by winter melt and heavy rains, which were forecast to continue throughout the country until Thursday, the Hotnews.ro news site reported.
Twelve counties were completely evacuated as volunteers and army troops scrambled to erect sand bag barriers along the Danube's banks.
To the northeast in Hungary, more than 520 people were evacuated Wednesday from around the Duna and Tisza rivers, the MTI news agency reported. More than 300 towns and villages are threatened by flooding rivers, officials said.
Flooding is also affecting Bulgaria, but the Danube's level in Serbia was easing Wednesday evening, CNN said.
