Flood hits two major dams in Macedonia, citizens evacuated

Two major dams in the capital city have been hit by a flood after heavy rains and snow melting in eastern parts of Macedonia brought up the water level by 1.5 meters in the river Bregalnica, authorities said on Sunday.

"The entire water across these dams now ends in the river Bregalnica. We order immediate evacuation of citizens from all populated areas near this river," Mile Janakieski, minister for transport and communications said.

The area most affected is around the town of Shtip, approximately 90 km southeast of Skopje, where the River Bregalnica runs through.

Local people were called to join the efforts of the army and servicemen to prevent bigger damages.

"We need as many people as possible to be included in these efforts. We have not seen floods like this in the last 100 years. The dams cannot hold up, they are over their maximum capacity and the water is already spilling over," Ilcho Zahariev, mayor of Shtip said on Sunday.

Due to the floods, the water from the town's water supply system is not safe for drinking.

The hospitals in the affected areas are working with increased capacity, getting ready to receive citizens that might need their help.

Eastern parts of Macedonia have been under heavy rains since Saturday, reaching over 80 liters per square meter in some areas.

The situation is getting more critical with the melting of the mountain snow, which further increased the river's water levels. Endi