UPDATE - Three people have died and hundreds are being evacuated after torrential rain has caused heavy flooding across southern Poland.
Continuing heavy rain led the Mayor of Krakow, Jacek Majchrowski, to declare a state of emergency at 2200 Sunday night, after the Vistula rose above emergency levels in the city. Many other towns across the region have followed suit.
On Monday morning, the River Vistula in Krakow was flowing 74 cm above emergency levels. Further upstream, on the border between Malopolska and Silesia, that level stood at 126 cm above emergency limits.
Three people have died so far due to the flooding, including a fireman who suffered from a heart attack during a rescue mission. One man is reported to have gone missing near Zywiec, Silesia, after he jumped into a river to rescue his son.
340 people have been evacuated from areas in the Malpolska province, with an ongoing effort to evacuate 1,500 residents in the Brzesko district. In surrounding provinces, 70 people have been taken to safety in Silesia and 54 have been evacuated in the Podkarpacie province. Over 8,000 soldiers have been put on standby with specialist equipment to help in rescue efforts.
In Silesia, roads in the area of Cieszyn have been submerged by flood water, including the border town of Zebrzydowice. Many towns in the Beskid lowlands have been affected by rivers bursting their banks, such as the Choczenka in Wadowice, around 50 km south-west of Krakow.
Many regional roads in the province have been closed, as well as in the city of Krakow, some of whose main arteries near the river Vistula have flooded. The Krakow-Zakopane train line is also affected by the adverse weather conditions.
Heavy rain is expected in southern Poland until Friday. (jb)
Sources: PAP/tvn24/UW Małopolski
Flood in Sandomierz:
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