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Empresas y finanzas

Mississippi River levee breaks


    CHICAGO (Reuters) - A levee protecting farmland near the swollen Mississippi River broke on Tuesday morning, flooding some farmland and causing evacuations but no injuries, an Illinois Emergency Management Agency official said.

    "We had some people who were actually out sandbagging atthe time this occurred," said Patti Thompson, communicationsmanager for the agency.

    "At this point, it appears everyone was safely rescued andthere were no injuries or deaths. I believe there were somepeople evacuated from nearby homes. A fairly small number. It'smore agricultural flooding with some homes affected," Thompsonsaid.

    The breach on the Illinois side near Gulfport, oppositeBurlington, Iowa, prompted the closure of the bridge across theriver into the city, she added.

    (Reporting by Peter Bohan; Editing by John Picinich)