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At least one person has died after days of torrential rain caused massive flooding in Albania, police said Saturday.
Conditions remain difficult in rural areas, including in the southern village of Dushar, where 30 families are reportedly stranded as floods have made access roads impassable.
The body of a 76-year-old woman was found after water levels receded in the flooded southeastern municipality of Devol, police said. She was reported missing by her son and a search by soldiers on Friday did not locate her. Officials believe she may have been swept away by the strong current.
The rains caused the Vjosa and Seman rivers to breach their banks and flood large areas of agricultural land. The Vjosa River flows through southern Albania while the Semnan flows through the lower Myzekeja plain.
The civil protection agency said about 220 hectares (544 acres) of land were submerged in the northwestern Lejha region. Videos posted online showed homes and agricultural land flooded, with farmers saying there was widespread damage to their crops.
Defense Minister Pirro Vengu inspected flooded areas in the country’s southern Sarande district on Saturday to assess the damage.
There are concerns that conditions could worsen as more rain is forecast in the coming days, with civil emergency teams on standby.