Severe Flooding in Central Europe Causes Deaths and Rescues

Severe flooding in central and eastern Europe, particularly in the Czech Republic and Poland, has resulted in at least 16 fatalities and numerous missing persons. Emergency services have been actively engaged in rescue operations, with helicopters deployed to airlift stranded individuals from rooftops and flooded areas. Notably, in Ostrava, 16 people were rescued while two confirmed deaths were reported, with eight individuals still unaccounted for. The Czech government has mobilized 2,000 soldiers for flood relief efforts, highlighting the scale of the disaster. In Poland, a surgeon drowned after being caught in the floods, prompting mass evacuations as local authorities worked to prevent further embankment collapses. Meanwhile, a person has also been swept down a river in New Zealand, necessitating a helicopter rescue operation on the West Coast.