More Moved To Escape Floods

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32306, 26 May 1970, Page 15

More Moved To Escape Floods

(NZ.P.A.-Reuter —Copyright) ALBA lULIA, May 25. Refugee families are sheltering in hill-top villages today to escape a new flood threat to industrial townships in Central Rumania.

Swollen by heavy rain and snow in the last 48 hours, the rivers pouring down from the mountains are rising to danger levels for the second time in 10 days. An official communique issued last night described the situation as serious. Earlier there had been reports that the floodwaters had

begun receding in the west north and centre of the country.

But Communist Party officials in the town of Alba lulia, which was devastated by the first peak flood a week iago, said that people from the [central industrial townships [of Medias and Sighisoara had [also been moved to safer areas.

The river Tarnava is reported to have risen nine feet above danger level there, and to have spilled over its banks. Women and children were taken to rescue centres in the hills, while the men stayed behind to salvage household possessions, they said. Convoys of lorries from [Bucharest, the capital, were (rumbling slowly over the | mountains through a deluge |of rain to bring food, cloth[ing and timber to the flooded [areas. The provincial party secretary (Mr Baiut Sirbu) said: “The damage caused by the [floods is enormous, the worst Iwe can remember. “Altogether, about 130 per[sons are believed to have died but many more are still missing. Thousands of cattle have been drowned.” The railway from Alba lulia to the central regions of Rumania was cut again yesterday, stranding hundreds of passengers, and in the south-east of the country amphibious vehicles rescued 500 people from a marooned train.