Authorities in parts of Europe issued disaster warnings and
scrambled to reinforce flood defences as rivers swelled by days
of heavy rain threatened to burst their banks.
Several people have died or are missing in the floods in
Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, and Switzerland since the
rains began on Thursday.
The floods have killed at least one person and left several
missing across the Czech Republic.
Czech officials warned that the waters of the Vltava river
could reach critical levels in Prague late on Sunday as soldiers
erected metal barriers and piled up sandbags to protect Prague's
historic centre from flooding after days of heavy rains swelled
rivers and forced evacuations from some low-laying areas.
Prague authorities also limited public transport and closed
underground stations as water from the Vltava River overflowed
into parts of the Old Town.
The area is a UNESCO heritage site boasting hundreds of
well-preserved buildings, churches and monuments dating back
mostly to the 14th Century, including the Charles Bridge that
straddles the Vltava.
"Due to the current situation, I have declared a state of
danger for the area of the capital city," acting mayor Tomas
Hudecek told a news conference.
Czech Prime Minister Petr Necas said 200 soldiers have been
deployed so far to help local authorities.
Disaster warnings
In Germany, where at least four people have died or are
missing, Chancellor Angela Merkel promised federal support for
affected areas and said the army would be deployed if necessary.
Several cities, including Chemnitz in the east, and Passau
and Rosenheim in the south, issued disaster warnings.
Passau, which is located at the confluence of three rivers,
could see waters rise above record levels of 2002, said Mayor
Juergen Dupper.
German news agency DPA reported that large stretches of the
Rhine, Main and Neckar rivers have been closed to ship traffic.
Evacuations are also taking place in neighbouring Switzerland
and Austria, where the torrential rain caused widespread
flooding and landslides.
At least one person died and two were missing in the deluge
in Austria, which in some places has dumped up to two months'
worth of rain in just days.
One clean-up worker was killed in a mudslide in the town of
St Johann near Salzburg, the Austrian Press Agency reported,
while two other people were missing in the province after being
swept into raging streams.
The provinces of Upper Austria, Tyrol and Styria were also
hit hard by the severe weather, which triggered the worst
flooding in some areas since 2002.
|