At Least 15 Dead Due to Severe Flooding in Central and Eastern Europe

At least 15 people have been reported dead as a result of severe flooding in Central and Eastern Europe. This has been reported by the Russian service of Radio Free Europe.

In the Czech Republic, over the past weekend, at least a quarter of a million households were left without electricity. The situation is most critical in the eastern parts of the country, particularly in Moravia and Silesia. Rescuers have evacuated some residents and pets from towns including Opava, Jesenik, and Krnov.

Witnesses have reported collapsed houses, lack of communication, unavailability of drinking water, and damaged vehicles. Several major roads in the Czech Republic remain closed. Train services have also been interrupted in many areas.

In the major industrial city of Ostrava, the situation continues to be serious. Roads are closed, and train services are limited. Rescuers have evacuated over 500 people from one neighborhood of the city.

However, authorities reported on Monday evening that water levels in several regions of the Czech Republic have started to decrease. Officials in Prague have stated that the situation in the capital is stable, although restrictions due to flooding remain in place. City authorities have urged residents not to walk in parks due to the risk of soil erosion and fallen trees, as well as to limit the use of personal vehicles to avoid hindering emergency services.

The exact extent of the damage suffered by residents in the Czech Republic has not yet been assessed.

The Polish government declared a natural disaster on Monday in flood-affected areas, mainly in the southwestern part of Poland near the Czech border. Several reservoirs have burst there, creating a critical situation in the town of Glucholazy. One of the most affected towns is Kladsko, where thousands of residents are without electricity and communication.

Romania has reported that the Galați region, close to the Moldovan border, has been hit hardest by the flooding, with water levels rising to as much as one and a half meters in some villages. Several thousand homes have been seriously damaged. Hundreds of people have left their homes and moved to shelters or temporary camps.

In Austria, the town of Lilienfeld, with a population of 25,000, remains cut off from the outside world due to flooding near the tributary of the Danube River, the Traisen. Austria has also reported damaged embankments, and water levels in Vienna have risen, resulting in the closure of some metro lines.

Hungary is preparing for possible flooding, with the banks of the Danube in Budapest being reinforced with sandbags.

The catastrophic situation has been caused by the powerful cyclone