Wild rain threatens villagers in England

ENGINEERS and emergency workers checked hundreds of bridges for damage yesterday, as five collapsed and another cracked dangerously while heavy rain lashed northwest England.

Calva Bridge in Workington, Cumbria, was closed after the main deck sank about 30 centimeters and a large crack appeared in the central arch over the River Derwent, cutting the village in two.

In the southwest, a 46-year-old canoeist, believed to be from the Reading area, died after becoming wedged under trees on the flooded River Dart near Newton Abbot in Devon on Saturday.

A search was under way for a 21-year-old woman believed to have been swept into the River Usk in Brecon, mid-Wales.

Conditions were predicted to worsen yesterday, with up to 50mm of rain on high ground, and winds inland of up to 90 kilometers an hour.

"I have spoken to people ... they are running short of food, they are running short of medication. Things are getting pretty desperate," Tony Cunningham, member of parliament for Workington, told Sky News.

He said some people were having travel of about 55 kilometers to get food and milk because of diversions.

British Prime Minister Gordon Brown visited the worst hit area, Cumbria, to see the damage caused by record rainfall, and pledged 1 million pounds (US$1.51 million) of aid.

Heavy rain during the past few days has left hundreds of people sheltering in rescue centers, hotels and with family and friends, with the expectation that some will not be able to move back into their homes for up to six months.

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