As of: 06/25/2021 12:48 a.m.
A severe storm left a trail of devastation in the Czech Republic. They are pictures that are otherwise only known from North America. The rescue workers are on a large scale.
Several people were killed and injured in a storm with a tornado in the south-east of the Czech Republic. According to the rescue service, the exact number of fatalities was initially not known. The hospital in Hodonin reported around 200 injuries.
In several villages, roofs were covered, window panes were destroyed, trees were overturned and cars were thrown around, reported the TV station CT. The situation there is like a war, said Health Minister Adam Vojtech on television. Several buses overturned in the storm in southern Moravia near the border with Austria, reported the TV station CT.
Georg Schmolz, ARD Prague, on the current tornado situation in the Czech Republic
Night magazine 12:20 a.m., 6/25/2021
Several villages were badly damaged
All available forces are on their way to the region, said Interior Minister Jan Hamacek. “Everything that has arms and legs goes there.” A huge windpipe could be seen in pictures and videos on social media. The weather service CHMU later confirmed that it was a tornado.
The communities of Hrusky with almost 1500 and Moravska Nova Ves 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 and no windows,” he said. The people could not have protected themselves from the storm. Several rescue teams with dogs were on their way to the area to look for possible buried subjects in buildings. The fire brigade went from house to house.
Millions of dollars in damage to a UNESCO World Heritage Site
The police blocked the access roads to several places to keep onlookers away. Heavy summer thunderstorms passed through South Moravia, which is known for its wine-growing regions, all evening. The emergency lines were overloaded. Hailstones the size of tennis balls fell 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. Numerous windows shattered on the baroque building from the 17th century.
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. Austria sent 20 ambulances and two rescue helicopters, and neighboring Slovakia also sent aid. 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 attending an EU summit.