Czech Rainfall Kills Two, Raises Flood Alert in Prague

Torrential rainfall in the Czech Republic left two dead and two missing as authorities mobilized to fight floods that closed rail lines, forced hundreds to flee and threatened to inundate Prague for the first time since 2002.

Prime Minister Petr Necas called a state of emergency in all but one Bohemian region, allocated $15 million in immediate aid and put hundreds of firefighters and soldiers to work on rescue duty. Metal anti-flood barriers were erected along the Vltava, including Prague’s Kampa neighborhood at the Charles Bridge. Officials also closed part of the subway, limited gas and power supplies in some districts and emptied a downtown hospital near the riverside.