Dike Breaks on Oder; 300 Evacuated
The dike along the rain-swollen Oder River burst Wednesday despite reinforcement by a million soggy sandbags, sending muddy water rushing into lowland villages.
Authorities evacuated about 300 residents after the dike broke and ordered 2,300 others to leave their homes as the surging waters spread. No injuries were reported.
Easing the overall pressure downstream a bit, Brandenburg state authorities decided not to try to plug the 500-foot gap created by the break, just south of Frankfurt an der Oder in eastern Germany.
About 15,000 acres were expected to be under water south of the city by the weekend, authorities said.
Brandenburg state Premier Manfred Stolpe called it a “flood disaster of unprecedented proportions” and said it would still require enormous efforts to fight the raging Oder.
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