Weather: Floods cause havoc in Central Europe

Historic Prague threatened by floods

Thousands were forced from their homes and at least nine people were killed as flood waters deluged swathes of Europe on Monday, including the historic centre of the Czech capital Prague.

Shops and schools were shut and road and rail transport were disrupted across the Czech Republic, Austria and Germany following torrential rains.

The flooding caused chaos at Prague Zoo where around 1 000 animals were moved to higher ground after the Vltava river burst its banks late on Sunday.

The Czech government declared a state of emergency Sunday, deploying 2 000 troops in its rescue drive as more than 7 000 people were evacuated from their homes, officials said.

A house collapse claimed two lives south of Prague, while an electrician was killed trying to switch off a transformer as a precaution, and three men drowned in rivers or drains around the country, police said.

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