Death toll rises as central Europe floods bring chaos

LARGE swathes of central Europe were on flood alert last night as the death toll from swollen rivers rose and more people were evacuated from their homes.

The historic cities of Dresden and Prague were braced for flooding, although authorities downplayed fears that the massive flooding of recent years would be repeated.

In Romania, a child was carried away by a raging river in the region of Suceava, in the north of the country, and his grandfather almost perished in the torrent trying to save him.