JASA TOMIC, Serbia-Montenegro - Two villages in eastern Serbia which have been flooded by the Tamic River for the past eight days were preparing for the worst Thursday as water levels were expected to rise.
District council chief Lazar Andrijasevic said emergency services were on alert as more downpours fell upstream in neighbouring Romania.
"The current situation is stable but we fear new floods due to heavy rain in Romania in recent days," he said, adding that the flood had already had a "catastrophic" effect on the area.
Some 31,000 hectares (76,600 acres) had been inundated around the villages of Jasa Tomic et Medja, 100 kilometres (60 miles) northeast of Belgrade on the Romanian border.
About 2,500 people had been evacuated, 250 homes had been destroyed and more than 3,000 head of livestock had drowned. Local authorities have requested aid in the form of drinking water, food and clothes.
Jasa Tomic resident Pal Cipak said the water poured rapidly into the village during the night.
"We had taken every precaution but the wall was broken on the Romanian side and the water beat us back. Everything happened very quickly and we didn't have time to react," he said.
Another resident, Paulina Sirocarov, said she managed to escape as the water flooded her house but had to leave all her belongings behind.
"Everything has been destroyed. I've lost everything," she said.
Officials said it was too early to put a monetary value on the damage.
04/28/2005 11:42 GMT