Thousands flee as Danube bursts dykes

THOUSANDS of residents have been evacuated from two Danube villages in western Romania and thousands more are under threat as the river hit near-record levels in Romania and Bulgaria.

More than 3,000 people were evacuated from the village of Rast after a dyke collapsed on Sunday, while some 400 people were forced to leave their homes in nearby Negoi.

Authorities said more than 600 houses in Rast were flooded, with 115 collapsing.