Six die in Portugal floods

LISBON, Portugal (CNN) -- Six people were killed while towns and villages remain stranded after some of Portugal's worst flooding for 100 years.

Areas most affected by the rain include the villages of Reguengo do Alviela, Caneiras, Porto de Muge, Valada, Reguengo de Valada and Palhota in central and northern Portugal, the civil defence department said.

A woman and two children died when a mudslide hit their house near Vila Real while flood waters swept three others to their death.

Hundreds of homes were evacuated and roads and railway lines were blocked.

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The river Mondego was close to overflowing its banks in the region of Coimbra while the towns of Constancia, Tancos, Vila Nova da Barquinha and Ribeira de Santarem were partly under water, the official news agency Lusa said.

Montemor-o-Velho is still facing problems as a result of the bad weather in the region of Mondego.

A freighter carrying fertiliser sank off the Portuguese coast on Monday after taking on water in heavy seas.

The Barbados-registered Holly Trader's crew of five Ukranians and one Russian was rescued by a merchant ship late on Sunday about 80 kilometres (50 miles) southwest of Lisbon, the Maritime Rescue Centre said.

The 88 metre-long (290 ft) ship was en route from Tunisia to London when its engine room flooded in waves of up to seven metres (23-ft) high.

Rainstorms are forecast to subside.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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European Centre for Medium-Range forecasts

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