Flood in Myslenice. Source: Youtube
A 45 year old man died when he was carried away by the Wielopolka river, which burst its banks and streamed through the center of the small town of Ropczyce.
The locality and its neighbourhood is almost completely under the water. Several towns and villages are cut off from the outside world.
Pawel Fratczak, spokesperson for the fire services, has told Polish Radio that the situation is very serious. The rescue operation has continues since yesterday evening, engaging more than 1000 fire fighters, policemen and the army.
The floods damaged electricity lines and residents of several localities have been deprived of water and gas.
The floods left many bridges and roads demolished and the motorway connecting to southern cities Rzeszow and Krakow is impassable.
Deputy Prime Minister, Grzegorz Schetyna, is going to the Podkarpacie region today and has praised rescue operations, which he says are going “very well”.
Deputy head of the Presidents Chancellery, Wladyslaw Stasiak is also going to visit the flooded Podkarpacie region today.
The handling of the floods has become a political issue however.
The Law and Justice party claims that the extent of the damage would have been less serious if Civic Platform’s government has not cancelled important investments planed by the previous government.
Civic Platform’s Zbigniew Chlebowski appealed to the opposition not to use the floods for political gain. Chlebowski ensured that the government will find money to provide help for those affected by the flood. The funds are to come from the budget reserve.
(jg/pg)