Germany battles floods after heavy rainfall

BERLIN, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- After weeks of heavy rainfall, the flood situation in many parts of Germany remains serious in the run-up to New Year's Eve. Several districts have declared the preliminary stage of a disaster alert.

Cities and municipalities along the rivers Elbe and Weser in eastern and northern Germany continue to be affected by high water and flooding. After a dyke burst in Lilienthal near Bremen on Wednesday, many residents had to be evacuated and there are fears of further dyke failures in nearby towns.