April 23 (Reuters) - Floods in central
and southeast Europe have forced thousands to flee their homes and ruined
tens of thousands of hectares (acres) of farmland.
Following are details on the state of
evacuations, damage to agriculture and infrastructure and the shipping
situation in the affected countries.
ROMANIA
- Some 5,500 people have fled their homes, down from 7,000 earlier this week, as some people returned to flooded villages. The floods have swamped around 400 km (250 miles) of roads and destroyed 29 bridges. They have also inundated nearly 850 houses destroying 221.
- Some 73,000 hectares (180,000 acres) are submerged, 21,000 through controlled flooding. Wheat was lost on 10,000 hectares, 0.3 percent of the total wheat acreage. Barley was lost on 1,000 hectares.
- Around 6,000 farm animals have been moved to higher ground. Losses are estimated at 4.6 million lei ($1.5 million) in agriculture and 7.6 million lei in forestry and fisheries.
- Only four of Romania's nine main Danube ports are working.
SERBIA
- The government had no official figures on evacuations but said the water had flooded 3,000 homes. Many refused to leave.
- Initial estimates show some 225,000 hectares, 5 percent of Serbia's 4.5 million hectares of arable land, were submerged or threatened by floods. Municipal governments estimated farm damage at 3.1 billion dinars ($44 million).
- The Danube has been closed for the last three weeks but is expected to re-open in a few days. Ships moved 30,000 tonnes of goods this month, down from a 133,000 tonne monthly average.
- The floods forced the Djerdap 2 power plant on the border with Romania to stop producing electricity.
HUNGARY
- Hungary has ordered the forced evacuation of 3,500 people near the confluence of the Koros and Tisza rivers. But many have ignored the call. Some 600 more left their homes earlier this month due to flooding on the Danube and rising groundwater and 20,000 are at risk in 40 towns.
- After weeks of flooding, around 138,000 hectares of fields are under water, 64,000 of which are grain fields. Hungary plants grain on over two million hectares.
BULGARIA
- Only 70 people have been officially evacuated but local officials across Bulgaria say some 2,350 people moved to higher ground. Roads along the river have been undermined by heavy rains and rising groundwater. Many towns are still at risk.
- Some 5,000 hectares of arable land has been flooded, 1,200 hectares of it wheat-growing. The agriculture ministry says the floods will probably delay spring sowing and some fields will remain waterlogged for the rest of the year.
- All Bulgaria's major Danube ports, except for east Rousse, are closed. Most are under water. Shipping will be limited until waters recede and authorities expect disruptions to last weeks. (Additional reporting by Beti Bilandzic, Radu Marinas, and Kremena Miteva, and Andras Gergely) ($1=2.820 Lei)