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Death toll rises to 72 as floods inundate Russia, W Europe
Vienna, Aug 13: Europe`s flooding death toll swelled to at least 72 people on Monday as torrential rains unleashed raging waters that swept away Russian tourists, triggered landslides in Germany and Switzerland and shut down shipping on the Danube river in Austria.
Vienna, Aug 13: Europe's flooding death toll
swelled to at least 72 people on Monday as torrential rains
unleashed raging waters that swept away Russian tourists,
triggered landslides in Germany and Switzerland and shut down shipping on the Danube river in Austria.
Russia was by far the hardest-hit area, with at least 58 deaths. Giant cranes hoisted ruined cars and other debris out of the black sea, and cleanup crews scoured coastal beaches in search of more bodies.
Thousands of Russian tourists who had descended on the black sea coast for their summer vacations were caught up in the surprise flooding. Many remain stranded, their cars swept out to sea by wall of water that came rushing down from the mountains.
As many as 4,000 tourists were still trapped in Shirokya Balka, a scenic coastal village that was devastated by the flooding, the Interfax news agency reported.
An investigative team was being formed to examine all the deaths for possible criminal charges, prosecutor Nikolai Buzko told the Itar-Tass news agency. The team was also examining why some buildings had been erected in areas where development is prohibited because of erosion and flooding concerns.
Russia was by far the hardest-hit area, with at least 58 deaths. Giant cranes hoisted ruined cars and other debris out of the black sea, and cleanup crews scoured coastal beaches in search of more bodies.
Thousands of Russian tourists who had descended on the black sea coast for their summer vacations were caught up in the surprise flooding. Many remain stranded, their cars swept out to sea by wall of water that came rushing down from the mountains.
As many as 4,000 tourists were still trapped in Shirokya Balka, a scenic coastal village that was devastated by the flooding, the Interfax news agency reported.
An investigative team was being formed to examine all the deaths for possible criminal charges, prosecutor Nikolai Buzko told the Itar-Tass news agency. The team was also examining why some buildings had been erected in areas where development is prohibited because of erosion and flooding concerns.
Austria saw its first two casualties in more than a
week of unprecedented flooding. Both were in hard-hit towns in
Salzburg province: a firefighter was swept away by a churning river in Mariapfarr, and a man's body was found floating in a flooded cellar in Hallein.
Bureau Report