Severe floods across Central Europe, death toll rises to 8

A low-pressure system named Boris has brought heavy rains from Austria to Romania, leading to some of the worst flooding in nearly three decades in hard-hit areas of the Czech Republic and Poland.

More rain and strong winds are forecast until at least Monday, although rain eased on Sunday in Romania, which was worst hit by the flooding a day earlier.

Thousands of homes were damaged over the weekend, several bridges were washed away and at least 250,000 households – mainly in the Czech Republic – were affected by power outages.

People are evacuated due to flooding in Czechowice-Dziedzice, Silesia region, Poland on September 15, 2024. Photo: Reuters

One person drowned in southwestern Poland on Sunday, a firefighter involved in a rescue effort died in Austria and two more people died in Romania, where flooding claimed four more lives on Saturday.

In the province of Lower Austria, near the Austrian capital Vienna, authorities have declared the area a disaster zone and warned against unnecessary travel.

A bridge collapsed in the historic Polish town of Glucholazy, and local officials ordered an evacuation early Sunday morning. Local media reported that another bridge collapsed in the mountain town of Stronie Slaskie, where a dam broke, according to the Polish weather institute.

Many houses are submerged in water during floods in Ladek-Zdroj, Klodzko county, Poland on September 15, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, who visited nearby flooded areas, said on the X platform that the country would declare a state of disaster and seek European Union aid.

Meanwhile in the Czech Republic, Mirek Burianek, a resident of Jesenik, said: "We don't know what will happen next. The internet is not working, the phones are not working... We are waiting for someone to show up to help."

Pavel Bily, a resident of Lipova-lazne (Czech Republic), said that this flood was even worse than the flood in 1997. "My house is under water and I don't know if I can return there," he said.

Emergency services used helicopters to evacuate people trapped in the Lipova-lazne district. In total, more than 10,000 people were evacuated across the country, the head of the fire service told Czech television.

Flooded area at the Wien River after heavy rain in Vienna, Austria on September 15, 2024. Photo: Reuters

In Hungary's capital Budapest, officials have raised their forecast for the Danube River to rise in the second half of this week to more than 8.5 metres, close to the record 8.91 metres set in 2013.

As the rain eased in Romania, workers managed to restore power to some 11,000 homes and clean-up efforts began. “Everything I had was destroyed,” said Victoria Salceanu in the eastern village of Slobozia Conachi.

Bui Huy (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/mua-lu-nghiem-trong-khap-trung-au-mat-dien-cau-sap-va-so-nguoi-thiet-mang-tang-len-8-post312531.html