Large-scale operation on Thursday evening near the Lower Austrian border in the Czech Republic: A violent hurricane swept over the region and left a trail of devastation. The situation there was “like a war,” said Health Minister Adam Vojtech on TV. Five people are said to have died, the number of those injured by the storms in the south-east of the country fluctuated between 200 and up to 1000. Forces of the Austrian Red Cross are also in action. The huge cyclone can be seen on videos (see above).
Severe summer thunderstorms passed through South Moravia all evening. The emergency lines were overloaded. Hailstones the size of tennis balls fell from the sky in Breclav and Hodonin counties, according to reports on social media. The Valtice Castle, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, was damaged in the millions. The tornado hit several villages in the Mikulov, Hodonin and Breclav areas.
Half place “razed to the ground”
The two communities of Hrusky (Birnbaum) with almost 1500 and Moravska Nova Ves (Mährisch Neudorf) with around 2600 inhabitants were particularly affected. Deputy Mayor Hruskys told CTK that half of the place had been razed to the ground. “Only the walls remain, with no roof, no windows,” he said. The people could not have protected themselves from the storm.
“There is great chaos here, great panic”
Several rescue teams with dogs were on duty to search for possible victims in buildings. The fire brigade went from house to house. “There is great chaos here, great panic,” said an eyewitness in the Luzice community. Many houses are said to be in danger of collapsing. The police blocked the access roads to several places to keep onlookers away.
The D2 motorway, which leads from Brno to Breclav, was not passable because a high-voltage line fell on the roadway. Around 32,000 households were without electricity. The government in Prague put forces of the army in readiness for a possible relief operation.
Numerous helpers from Lower Austria on site
All available forces are on their way to the region, said the Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamacek in the evening. “Everything with arms and legs goes there.” The whole evening, Red Cross forces from the areas of Drasenhofen and Hohenau also came from Austria on the March and the surrounding area, volunteers from Gänserndorf were also requested just before 10 p.m.
Up to 1,000 people feared
The Czech authorities speak of the terrible scenes that took place on the spot. According to information from the Red Cross, a triage and aid center was set up on a sports field. “Currently, up to 1,000 people are feared injured,” said Andreas Zenker from the Red Cross Lower Austria in the evening. “We have sent more than 30 ambulances and emergency medical vehicles to the areas, other units from the Weinviertel have been re-alerted.” In addition, two Christophorus helicopters are in use.
Lower Austria clinics are available for patients
It was said that injured people from the neighboring country could be brought to the Mistelbach State Hospital. The APA learned that all other clinics in the Weinviertel, those in St. Pölten and Wiener Neustadt as well as Viennese hospitals were informed in advance about possible patients. The neighboring Slovakia also offered help.
The Lower Austrian provincial government also promised help. All traumatological departments in the Weinviertel as well as the St. Pölten and Wiener Neustadt hospitals are available for the admission of patients. Tornado runners are also likely to have caused property damage in Lower Austria.
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Briefly thanked the Austrian emergency services
“Our condolences go to the victims and the families of the victims,” said Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (ÖVP) at the EU summit in Brussels about the incidents. In the early morning hours of Friday, Kurz thanked the Austrian emergency services who worked across borders and tried to make a contribution. The Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis announced that due to the weather in Europe he could not return by plane from Brussels, where he was also attending the summit.
Strong thunderstorms also over Austria
In Austria, too, thunderstorm cells made things difficult for parts of Austria on Thursday: Vienna, Mödling and Mürzzuschlag, among others, were particularly affected. In Linz-Pichling, hailstones the size of golf balls pelted into the gardens. In the Hollabrunn area, hailstones the size of tennis balls damaged dozens of roofs and cars, some severely. Around 650 members from a total of 50 fire departments were on duty.