10 reported dead in Europe flooding

(News Today) - At least 10 people were killed in Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic as creeks and rivers swollen by days of heavy rains burst their banks, destroying buildings, dams and bridges, officials said.

A woman drowned in the Polish town of Bogatynia on Saturday, according to broadcaster TVN24. In addition, the body of a second woman along with a 55-year-old rescuer were found Sunday.

Three people died in the German town of Neukirchen when rainwater from flooded streets spilled into a basement where they were attempting to salvage possessions, said Lothar Hofner, spokesman for the Interior Ministry of the German state of Saxony. The three -- a 72-year-old man, his 74-year-old wife and a 63-year-old neighbor -- were caught off guard by the water and drowned, Hofner said.

Elsewhere, the Neisse River overflowed its banks, but the water level was receding and was expected to return to normal during the day on Monday, Hofner said. The Neisse flooding is "by far not as bad as 2002," he said. However, roads near the river were rendered impassable, authorities said.

Authorities evacuated parts of the city of Zittau in Goerlitz County, the region hit the hardest in Germany, according to a statement by the city government. More than 230 rescue personnel with 140 emergency vehicles were responding to the catastrophe, according to the county. Water tanker trucks were in place with potable water for residents in affected regions.

In the north Bohemia region of the Czech Republic, four people drowned Saturday, according to Czech news agency CTK. Health emergency spokeswoman Lenka Moravcova told CTK there were reports of a possible fifth victim. Three others were missing.

The situation was beginning to improve, Moravcova said, and water was slowly receding in some spots. In others, however, several hundred people were evacuated overnight as rivers and creeks continued to rise, CTK reported. Train service was suspended in the hard-hit Liberec and Usti regions. Water has swept away bridges and overflowed roads, CTK said.

Polish officials said flooding victims would receive a one-time allowance of 6,000 zlotys, or $2,000, for emergency needs and up to 100,000 zlotyz, or more than $33,000, for home repairs.

Source : CNN

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