Central Europe hit by heavy floods

Authorities in parts of central Europe issued disaster warnings and scrambled to reinforce flood defences yesterday as rivers swelled by days of heavy rain threatened to burst their banks.

Several people have died or are missing in the floods in Germany, the Czech Republic and Switzerland since Thursday.

Czech officials warned that the waters of the Vltava river could reach critical levels in Prague late last night.

Interim mayor Tomas Hudecek said authorities were considering whether to shut down parts of the capital’s subway network and called on people not to travel to the city.

In the nearby city of Trebenice a woman was found dead in the rubble after a summer cottage collapsed due to the raging water, Czech public television reported.

Czech prime minister Petr Necas said 200 soldiers have been deployed to help local authorities.

In Germany, where at least four people have died or are missing, chancellor Angela Merkel promised federal support for affected areas. Chemnitz in the east, and Passau and Rosenheim in the south, issued disaster warnings. Passau, which is located at the confluence of three rivers, could see waters rise above record levels of 2002.

German news agency dpa reported that large stretches of the Rhine, Main and Neckar rivers have been closed to ships.

Evacuations are also taking place in neighbouring Austria and Switzerland.

Meteorologists are predicting the rainfall will ease in the coming days.