'Like an apocalypse': Europe's catastrophic floods in photos

Europe is battling its worst floods in additional than twenty years.

Rivers have been nonetheless bursting their banks in Czechia, whereas the River Danube was rising in Slovakia and Hungary, and components of Austria and Romania have additionally been inundated by floodwaters.

The Czech-Polish border areas are among the many worst-hit because the weekend, as gushing, debris-filled rivers devastated historic cities, collapsing bridges and destroying homes.

Flooding has killed seven individuals in Romania, the place waters have receded because the weekend, six in Poland, 5 in Austria, and three in Czechia. Tens of hundreds of Czech and Polish households have been nonetheless with out energy or contemporary water.

A whole bunch of individuals have been rescued throughout 19 components of the nation, Romanian emergency companies stated. Supply: Getty / Daniel Mihailescu

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk held an emergency assembly on Monday and later declared a catastrophe in flooded areas, a authorities measure to facilitate evacuation and rescues.

He introduced the federal government would offer 1 billion zlotys (A$385 million) in rapid payouts to victims.

Coloured roofs of houses peaking through murky floodwaters.

The fireplace brigade is evacuating residents from flooded homes in Czechowice Dziedzice, Poland. Supply: AAP / Dawid Markysz

Szymon Krzysztan, 16, standing within the city sq. of Ladek Zdroj, described losses from the floods as “unimaginable”.

“It is a metropolis like in an apocalypse… It is a ghost city,” he stated.

People walking in muddy street, two men carrying debris into shopping trolley.

The Polish authorities known as a particular assembly on Monday, after Prime Minister Tusk ordered the federal government to organize an ordinance to declare a state of pure catastrophe over floods within the nation. Supply: AAP / Dariusz Gdesz

Residents in Poland’s south-western city of Nysa have been advised to flee for increased floor.

In a single day, volunteers helped rescue employees heave sandbags to construct up the damaged embankment round Nysa. Firefighters and troopers have additionally spent the night time reinforcing river embankments within the Metropolis of Wroclaw in southwestern Poland with sandbags.

Coloured roofs of buildings and trees peaking through murky floodwaters.

Many Polish cities have known as for meals donations for flood survivors. Supply: AAP / Maciej Kulczynski

Whereas rivers within the Czech-Polish border space are beginning to recede, different cities have been placed on alert.

In Czechia, a rising Morava River put Litovel — a metropolis with a inhabitants of almost 10,000 — round 70 per cent underwater.

Colleges and well being services have additionally shut, its mayor stated in a video on Fb.

A man extends his arm to a resident, standing on a platform surrounded by red inflated lifeboats.

Rescuers patrol flooded streets following heavy rain within the city of Ostrava, Czechia. Supply: AAP / Martin Divisek

In Ostrava — an industrial metropolis of 290,000 individuals in northeast Czechia — the BorsodChem chemical plant was shut, a spokesperson for the corporate stated.

Greater than 12,000 individuals have been evacuated, Prime Minister Petr Fiala stated on social media platform X, as he known as a unprecedented authorities session for Monday.

Water gushes under a bridge with a chapel in the background.

One particular person drowned on Monday within the Bruntál area of Czechia, police chief Martin Vondrášek advised native media. Supply: Getty / Gabriel Kuchta

Slovakia’s capital Bratislava and Hungarian capital Budapest are additionally bracing because the River Danube rises.

People place hundreds of white bags on the road outside a building.

A whole bunch of sandbags are getting used to bolster a dam in Tahitotfalu, Hungary, because the Danube river threatens to spill its banks. Supply: AAP / Denes Erdos

In Austria, native media reported that two males drowned after being trapped by rising flood water of their properties

As ranges of rivers and reservoirs fell, officers stated they have been bracing for a second wave as heavier rain was forecast.

Men in high-vis paddling a small red boat through floodwaters, two cars submerged.

Austria’s chancellor, Karl Nehammer, stated the state of affairs in his nation “continues to worsen.” Decrease Austria has been declared a catastrophe space. Supply: Getty / Helmut Fohringer

In a message on X, European Fee President Ursula von der Leyen despatched phrases of solidarity to these affected by flooding and stated the EU would offer help.

With extra reporting by Reuters and the Australian Related Press.