News

The governor of the Liberec region has estimated that damage from the flash floods which hit the Czech Republic could exceed one billion crowns (the equivalent of 53.4 million US dollars). The governor, Stanislav Eichler, made the estimate during Sunday afternoon’s visit by Czech President Václav Klaus. Structures which suffered damage include bridges, footbridges and personal homes. Damage to public property in one village, Chrastava, has been estimated at 100 million crowns alone. Meanwhile, several hundred people in flood-hit areas have already begun contacting insurance companies with claims.

The City of Prague has halted traffic and transport on the Vltava after water flow on Sunday morning was measured at 600 cubic metres per second. Expected weather conditions should see an even greater volume. Piers will be closed and all transport and activity on the river stopped, deputy mayor Rudolf Blažek said. Anti-flood barriers, such as the one near the Four Seasons hotel not far from the historic Old Town Square, are be putting into effect in keeping with the city’s anti-flood measures.

A 16-year-old girl is feared dead after a raft she was on with four others flipped over on the Ohře River near Karlovy Vary. The accident happened shortly after noon on Sunday; the five had been attempting to shoot through a sluice. After the raft flipped, four made it to the river's edge. Police and rescue workers have since been searching for the girl’s body. An official said the flipped raft was following another that had made it through successfully. But, he said, the sluice was dangerous and not intended for such attempts. None of the rafters were wearing safety vests.

Continuing heavy rainfall, as feared, has seen rivers in parts of the country break their banks, leading to flash floods that have driven hundreds of people from their homes. Areas suffering from floods are namely the north and north-east of the country. The region of Liberec has been hard hit: around a thousand people had to be evacuated from their homes on Saturday, with some scrambling onto rooftops as they waited for help. Power lines, parts of train routes and roads have all been affected. The nearby Fýdlant was practically cut-off by floodwaters, which also flowed right through the centre of the town, leaving property damaged and cars overturned. Two casualties in the region have since been confirmed, with one person still missing. The calamity has led two regions – Liberec and Ústí nad Labem – to declare states of emergency.