Flood-ravaged Czech towns face looters amid evacuation efforts

The Czechs are struggling with the high water sweeping through numerous towns. Due to the floods, thousands of people have had to be evacuated, as their homes have been inundated. The force of nature is not the only challenge our southern neighbours face. According to the governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region, the first instances of looting have been recorded in the region.

It is heinous and reprehensible behaviour by people who exploit the misfortune of others who had to leave their homes or businesses due to the high water level. The police will intervene uncompromisingly, and I believe these selfish scoundrels deserve the harshest punishments — stated Governor Josef Bělica, quoted by the portal denik.cz.

Sonia Štětínská, spokesperson for the police of the Moravian-Silesian Region, said that one attempt at looting has been recorded so far. According to the officer's information, the attempt occurred in Ostrava, and the victim was a private company.

The police are working on this case. In any instance, in the places and towns where evacuation took place, there is a police presence; we are responding both to our own findings and to reported incidents — conveyed the spokesperson for the Czech police, quoted by the novinky.cz portal.

The Czech police have confirmed the death of the first person. The victim of the natural disaster is a man who drowned in the Krasovka River near the town of Bruntál. The services also report eight missing persons. Among the missing is a resident of a senior home, who was swept away by the swollen current, and a person who reportedly jumped into the Otava River.

The most tragic floods in Czech history were those of July 1997, in which 50 people died. In the floods of August 2002, 17 people died, and in June 2009 and 2013, 15 people lost their lives due to the high waters.