LONDON, July 24 (RIA Novosti) - About 350,000 people are still without fresh water in Gloucestershire, in the west of England, after recent heavy flooding which also left 50,000 homes without electricity, British media reported Tuesday.
U.K. emergencies services, reported to have been working round the clock to prevent more serious consequences, said the water levels on the River Severn have stopped several inches below the critical level, that would have threatened Gloucester city center and the Walham substation providing electricity to the county, as well as South Wales.
Free water is being distributed due to the lack of drinking water. Road and railroad traffic is still disrupted in some areas.
British insurers said insurance payments for the damage inflicted by the worst flooding for the last fifty years could total 2 billion pounds sterling ($4.1 billion).
