OSLO, Aug 9 (Reuters) – Thousands of people in Norway had to be evacuated on Wednesday as homes and buildings were submerged in water or swept away by landslides as rivers reached their highest level in more than 50 years .
Major roads have been closed and rail services suspended across much of the country’s south as rivers burst their banks. Authorities have warned of more flooding in the coming days as water moves to low-lying coastal areas.
In Innlandet County, one of the hardest hit areas, many people are left cut off by flooding and first responders may not be able to reach those in need.
“We are in a national emergency,” Innlandet Mayor Aud Hove said in a press release.
The government decided on Wednesday to mobilize more helicopters to participate in the evacuations, the Ministry of Justice and Public Security told the TV2 television channel.
No deaths have been reported so far, Norwegian authorities said.
Strong winds, intense rains and landslides have hit different parts of Scandinavia in recent days.
On Monday, a Swedish train derailed after an embankment was washed away by flooding, injuring three people.
The Norwegian and Swedish authorities maintained the red alert, the most serious, for several regions on Wednesday. (Report Terje Solsvik, French version Nathan Vifflin, edited by Kate Entringer)
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