Plight of tornado ravaged villages sparks wave of solidarity

The plight of the tornado ravaged villages in South Moravia has sparked an unprecedented wave of solidarity.

Just twenty four hours after the tornado devastated seven villages, Foundation Via said it had received 100 million crowns in donations from firms and individuals, The Diocese charity Brno says it has collected 50 million.

Individual collections on a smaller scale have been set up around the country and people are offering accommodation and material aid to the victims.

The state has promised 500 million crowns in aid in the coming days and individuals are receiving 58,000 crowns each to help tide them over the first days. Prime Minister Andrej Babiš has also asked the EU to help out from its Solidarity Fund.

The damage caused is estimated to be in the hundreds of millions of crowns. According to the Generali insurance company it will reach 750 million crowns.