Farmers were yesterday told to keep their livestock and machinery away from the Evros River in northeastern Greece as it was poised to burst its banks following heavy rainfall and an increase in the flow of water from Bulgaria.

Authorities in the Evros region were on the alert yesterday after the depth of the river rose to 5.80 meters, 10 centimeters above its emergency level. The prefecture put into action a 24-hour crisis management committee to coordinate any relief efforts. Authorities also advised people to stay away from the river until its levels drop.

The river burst through a flood barrier in the Psathades area, near the village of Didymoteicho, on Saturday, flooding some 150 hectares of farmland. No houses were affected by the flooding which was caused by a 40-meter-long crack in the flood barrier.

Some 2,000 hectares of land was flooded last February when the river broke its banks. Another 4,000 hectares was inundated by water in March, when authorities had to evacuate 300 people after a village was flooded as well.