The historical center of Prague is under threat as the worst flood in decades cause chaos, claiming the lives of at least five people. Almost 2,700 people from low-lying areas of Czech Republic were evacuated, schools closed and transportation halted.
The subway in the center of the capital was halted for the first
time since massive floods hit the city in 2002.
The disaster, caused by torrential rains, has prompted evacuation
of hospitals, retirement homes and cultural institutions as well
as the city zoo.
Heavy rain over the weekend has resulted in flood warnings in
west, north, central and south Bohemia.
One woman died after her home collapsed in Trebenice u Prahy,
southwest of Prague. Later authorities discovered the dead body
of a man, Czech public television reported. Separately, at least
three other people were reported missing, two of them after their
raft overturned on the River Berounka in Hlasna Treban, central
Bohemia.
In Prague, rescue workers, aided by the army, have set up flood
barriers.
A state of emergency has been declared in the Czech Republic due to the threat of flooding, Prime Minister Petr Nečas announced in a televised address.
He added that the government has allocated 300 million Czech Koruna ($15 million ) to battle the flooding.
“The situation is very serious,” acting mayor Tomas
Hudecek stated, as water levels in the Vltava, the river that
flows through Prague, reached 1,513 cubic meters per second.
During the 2002 floods 5,000 cubic meters was flowing through the
city every second, according to the Prague Post.
The rising water levels have interrupted rail services between
Bohemia and Moravia, with trains being stopped near Kolin.
The flooding also partially damaged half of the 51 metro stations in Prague, with 17 of them submerged, local media Ceskenoviny reports adding that the total damage was put at 73 billion Czech Koruna (about $4 billion) , 27 billion (about $1,5 billion) of which in Prague only.
Foul weather has also hit Germany, Austria and Switzerland with
at least six people reported dead and seven missing because of
floods, according to the Associated Press.
Heavy rain is affecting the Rivers Danube and Inn in Bavaria,
while rivers in Saxony and Baden-Wuerttemberg have also burst
their banks.
Eyewitnesses in the city of Passau, Germany, report that water
level in historical center reaches up to the second floor. Roads
and bridges are closed. The water has cut off the way to
shops. Small boats are being used to supply goods to old
people.
Rescuers transport residents from flooded parts of the city to
dry land as officials warned that water levels, already the
highest in 70 years, could rise further.
“The situation is extremely dramatic,” AP is citing
spokesman Herbert Zillinger as saying.
In Austria, a man was found dead in Salzburg as he was swept away
while working on flood defenses and another two people are
missing in the Salzburg area, according to the Salzberger
Nachrichten.