Czech Aftermath Of Deadly Tornado
By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
(Worthy News) – The Czech Republic struggles with the aftermath of one of the most devastating and deadliest tornadoes in the nation’s modern history. Authorities said at least five people were killed and hundreds injured after buildings, including a church, suffered damage.
South Moravia’s regional governor Jan Grolich called it a “living hell.” Winds of at least 219 kilometers (136 miles) per hour raged through the Czech Republic’s southeast killing several people and injuring hundreds.
Hailstones the size of tennis balls were reported. Local officials said a string of villages had suffered considerable damage along 25 kilometers or 15-miles stretch of road heading from Breclav to Hodonin to the northeast.
The tornado touched down late Thursday as strong thunderstorms hit the entire country.
Seven towns and villages sustained heavy damage that included buildings turned to rubble and overturned cars. The storms were accompanied by hail which in some cases was as big as tennis balls.
Hrusky Deputy Mayor Marek Babisz told Czech radio that half of his town was almost completely wiped out. He said, “the church is without the tower; the elementary school has no roof and insulation anymore.” Babisz stressed that “only walls remain from what were houses … It’s really terrible.”
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis has called it “a huge tragedy.” He offered his condolences to those who lost loved ones and said he asked the European Union for help because “it’s a real apocalypse.”
He said some 2,000 buildings were damaged. Over 40,000 households were without electricity in the southeast.
Amid the ruined, Czech army personnel and hundreds of police searched for the dead and injured in the area. Rescue crews from across the country were joined by counterparts from nearby Austria and Slovakia.
They have been using drones, helicopters, and sniffer dogs to search through the rubble. But it will take time for the region to recover.
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