Prague, 19 September 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The death toll from the severe flooding in Central Europe has risen to at least 23, according to the latest tally after another victim was confirmed.

In the Czech Republic, a fifth death was announced by Interior Minister Vit Rakušan on Thursday. At least a further eight people remain missing, including the occupants of a car that was swept away by a raging river.

The flooding has caused widespread devastation across Central and Eastern Europe in recent days. In the Czech Republic, the hardest-hit area has been in the east near the Polish border.

President Petr Pavel has now visited the flood areas, including the badly affected resort town of Jeseník in the Jeseník mountain range.

He estimates that it will take years to repair the damage. In Jeseník, the town centre was at times submerged under several metres of water, with numerous buildings either collapsing or being demolished due to structural instability.

Meanwhile, on the Elbe in northern Bohemia, not far from the border with Germany, the situation eased.

The peak wave of the river passed Ústí nad Labem at a water level of just over 6.8 metres - before the storm, an average of around 2 metres was measured.

The protective walls erected withstood the masses of water. However, traffic chaos ensued due to closed roads.

A convoy of firefighters left the city for the north-east of the Czech Republic to help pump out cellars and buildings.

Photo: EPA