Bendl orders reduction in flow from dams to protect Ústí nad Labem

Following days of flooding, the minister of agriculture, Petr Bendl, ordered a reduction in the flow of water from a dam system in southern Bohemia on Tuesday. A ministry official said if the move were not taken, waters would breach defences in Ústí nad Labem and inundate much of the North Bohemian city. Officials say the River Labe is likely to culminate in Ústí nad Labem on Wednesday evening at a height of up to 11.5 metres, less than half a metre lower than the level seen during catastrophic floods in 2002. Around 6,000 people have been evacuated in the area and bridges and the local train station have been closed.