Death toll rises to 22 as storm ‘Boris’ hits central Europe

September 17 () –

At least 22 people have died as a result of the passage of ‘Boris’, a storm of rain that has hit central and eastern Europe in recent days, causing damage in several countries on the continent and claiming lives in Austria, Poland, the Czech Republic and Romania.

The country with the highest number of deaths so far is Romania, where seven people have died due to a storm that has prompted authorities to declare a state of alert in Galatsi County and other areas hit by ‘Boris’.

In some areas, up to 170 millimetres of rain has been recorded in just 12 hours, which is the amount of rain that has accumulated over several months, according to the Romanian press. More than 5,000 homes have been affected and camps have been set up to house the displaced.

Austria, meanwhile, reported three more deaths on Tuesday, bringing the provisional death toll to six due to ‘Boris’. The worst-affected area is the north-east of the country, although authorities are now celebrating that the situation is gradually improving and the water level in rivers has begun to decrease.

Poland is also one of the countries hardest hit by the storm, with six deaths and damage to dams and bridges caused by Boris. The authorities in Nysa ordered the evacuation of the town the day before, and on Tuesday residents, firefighters and soldiers took part in repair work on a dam which, if it breaks, would cause flooding in the city centre.

Although the official figures in Poland are currently at six deaths, the city of Klodzko suggests that there could already be at least ten deaths. Amid the weather disaster, criminals have taken advantage to loot shops and businesses, which has led Prime Minister Donald Tusk to order increased security.

In the Czech Republic, authorities have confirmed the death of three people, while others may still be missing, according to the daily Ceske Noviny. The leaders of the worst-affected areas had already described the events as an “apocalypse” the day before.

In other countries in the region, such as Hungary, there have also been incidents caused by Boris’ passage, and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán even announced the suspension of his “international obligations” to focus on the situation in the country.