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A mudslide has made its way through the Norwegian village of Valdres
Photo: Cornelius Poppe / dpa
The consequences of storm "Hans" are hitting the countries in Scandinavia hard: In Sweden and Norway, heavy rainfall on Tuesday led to numerous floods and landslides. In Denmark, a forest fire was also out of control as a result of strong winds, the authorities said on Tuesday. Further heavy rain has also been announced for the coming days.
"Hans" had swept across the Nordic countries over the weekend, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake. The authorities advised the inhabitants of the ski resort of Are to stay away from the Susabäcken River: it had overflowed its banks, as a result of which mud and debris were washed into the city, damaging houses and roads, the crisis information authority said on its website.
Railway embankment collapsed
In Sweden's second-largest city, Gothenburg, on the west coast of the country, the flooded Göta River flooded the market in the fishing port, according to local traders.
On Monday, three people were injured in a train accident in northeastern Sweden when a passenger train derailed due to a railway embankment that had been washed out by heavy rain and collapsed.
In neighboring Norway, police reported several landslides in the southeast on Tuesday. According to media reports, more than a hundred people had to be brought to safety.
The Swedish and Norwegian meteorological authorities warned of severe flooding in several regions of both countries. The heavy rain also led to a number of traffic disruptions in many places: numerous roads had to be closed, and many trains and ferries were cancelled.
Meanwhile, Denmark's weather agency DMI warned of squalls in the north of the country. In the vicinity of the city of Klitmöller, a forest fire is blazing, the extinguishing work is currently making little progress due to strong winds, the police said.
ktz/AFP