Death toll climbs to 15 as severe flooding hits Central Europe

Severe flooding caused by Storm Boris has resulted in at least 15 fatalities and left thousands homeless across Central Europe.

Days of torrential rain have made rivers burst their banks and brought destruction to towns in Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania. Slovakia and Hungary are also bracing themselves for severe flood, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

In Romania, six people have been killed, with the floods claiming the lives of another five in Poland and four in the Czech Republic, with the Czech prime minister warning “the worst is yet to come.”

Thousands have meanwhile also lost their homes and businesses.

Poland is expected to declare a state of natural disaster on Monday.

Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs and Administration, Czesław Mroczek, said that the measure aims to streamline rescue and recovery efforts, making it easier for authorities to respond to the crisis and rebuild the affected communities.

Meanwhile, Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak said the situation is “dynamic” and warned that further casualties could not be ruled out.

The worst-hit areas in Poland include Lower Silesia and the Opole region, in the south-west of the country,where critical infrastructure, including a dam and a bridge, has been destroyed by rising waters.

“The threat is still there,” Klimczak said, urging residents to remain vigilant, adding that flood waters were continuing to rise in some areas.

The mayor of the southern city of Krakow has also issued a flood alert as water levels in the city’s main river, the Vistula, continue to rise.

News.Az