Army rescues flood-trapped van with 8 elderly aboard

Servicemen have rescued a minibus carrying 8 elderly persons from a 15m high bridge in Zoloniceni village, Criuleni district, which was flooded after the local dam crumbled under huge amounts of water earlier on Wednesday, Info-Prim Neo learned from the Ministry of Defense. The rescue operation was conducted by peacekeeping battalion #1 stationed in Cocieri near the Security Zone. All the occupants of the van are said to be completely safe. On August 31, the residents of Cotul Morii village, which is likely to be flooded, will be displaced to the villages nearby – Leuseni and Onesi. Hancesti district head Anatol Chetraru, who is also the chairman of an ad-hoc emergency commission, has asked for army's help in conducting the evacuation. 25 troops and two heavy vehicles will be engaged. Other 24 households in the villages of Varatic and Domeni, Rascani district, are flooded, as water levels are on the rise, it was reported. Duruitoarea Noua village experiences a similar situation.