Floods damage landmarks

FLOODWATERS in Dresden’s historic centre rose to the highest level in more than a century yesterday, threatening the Baroque city’s landmark opera and art collection as east Germany became the focus of flooding that has killed at least 100 people across Europe.

In Bitterfeld, a town about 80 miles northwest of Dresden, a dam broke yesterday afternoon, forcing the evacuation of all 16,000 residents and raising fears of dangerous water pollution. Bitterfeld was a major chemical centre of the former East Germany and sits on a tributary of the Elbe, the river threatening Dresden.

The Elbe, which had receded slightly after bursting its banks this week, swelled to more than 27 feet. It was expected to rise another foot, close to the 29-foot level reached in 1845.

Even before yesterday's surge, floodwaters had damaged landmarks of the Saxony state capital, including the famed Semper Opera and Zwinger Gallery, where volunteers helped bring thousands of priceless masterworks to higher floors this week. The city's main train station is also waterlogged and has been closed for days.

State officials said no damage to paintings at the Zwinger Gallery had been discovered so far after hundreds of masterworks were evacuated from storage in the basement. The gallery's upper floors were not touched by the floods.

About 170 intensive care patients were evacuated overnight from several Dresden hospitals and brought to other facilities. Some 3,000 residents were evacuated from newly flooded areas in the morning to gyms, schools and private homes.

Generally clear skies over Germany yesterday and a forecast of sunny weather promised relief here. But downstream from Dresden to the north, several cities on the Elbe notably Magdeburg braced for their share of flooding that has left 11 dead in Germany.

To the southeast in Europe, the rain-swollen Danube also raised alarms. The river was rising yesterday in Romania and in Hungary, where the Cabinet called an emergency meeting to review flood preparations. The river was expected to peak on Sunday in Budapest, the capital.

Slovakia declared a state of emergency in the capital, Bratislava, where authorities expect the Danube to reach crest Friday.

In Austria, where the floods left seven dead, the capital Vienna was spared major flooding as the Danube's water level receded.

In Prague, thousands of sandbags kept the raging Vltava from punching through and flooding the historic Czech capital's quaint Old Town. Officials said the Vltava dropped three feet overnight, but many parts of the city remained under water.

Yesterday skies over Prague were clear and weather forecasters said the torrential rains appeared to be over.

At least 100 people have died in Europe's floods. Most casualties were in Russia, where the death toll stood at 59 mostly Russian tourists vacationing on the Black Sea who were swept away by swiftly moving water.