Heavy rains batter Central Europe, four found dead in Romania

Storms battered eastern Romania on Saturday, flooding several neighbourhoods, where emergency workers found four people dead in a search and rescue mission. The stormy weather comes as several central European nations anticipate severe flooding to hit the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, and Hungary over the weekend.

Four people in eastern Romania have been found dead after torrential storms dumped unprecedented rain, leaving hundreds stranded in flooded areas, emergency authorities said Saturday.

Rescue services scrambled to save people in the hard-hit eastern counties of Galati and Vaslui. The bodies of three older women and one man were found in four localities, the Department for Emergency Situations said.

Emergency authorities released video footage showing teams of rescuers evacuating people using small lifeboats through muddy waters and carrying some older people to safety.

Some of the most significant flood damage was concentrated in Galati where 5,000 households were affected. A Black Hawk helicopter was also deployed there to help with the search and rescue efforts.

The storms battered 19 localities in eight counties in Romania, with strong winds downing dozens of trees that damaged cars and blocked roads and traffic. Authorities sent text message alerts to residents to warn them of adverse weather as emergency services rushed to remove floodwaters from homes.

(AP)

Read more on FRANCE 24 English

Read also:
In pictures: Storm Boris brings heavy floods to central, eastern Europe
More than 226 die in Myanmar floods, landslides caused by Typhoon Yagi
Nearly 100 dead as floods from seasonal rains devastate war-torn Yemen