03:56Heavy rainfall and subsequent fluvial flooding disrupted underground train services in Vienna on Sunday.
Footage shows the continuous rainfall as the WienFluss river swells, submerging nearby sidewalks in water. Footage also shows the flooded train tracks and empty subway stations, meanwhile, locals can be seen using tramways as an alternative mode of public transportation.
"[The] water level has risen dramatically overnight and immediately we start with protective measures for our underground system. [...] You can see there are these walls - they prevent the water from getting into the system. They keep the infrastructure safe," explained Vienna's Underground Train Service spokesperson Andrea Zefferer.
She also shared that the train service is in constant contact with city officials and emergency organisations to help 'keep the city safe'.
"Never ever before has there been such a great impact of floods on the public transport system in Vienna," Zefferer added. "Four out of five underground lines are affected. They are partly closed due to the floods."
A firefighter died while draining a flooded basement in the Lower Austria region, according to the fire department. Authorities declared the region a natural disaster zone.
Swathes of Austria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have been battered by heavy rains and strong winds since Thursday, triggering flood warnings and evacuations.
Four people have reportedly died in Romania, while one person drowned in Poland, and four remain missing in the Czech Republic. Thousands have been forced to leave their homes across the continent.
The flooding has revived fears of a repeat of the catastrophic 1997 floods that claimed 54 lives and forced 162,000 people to evacuate in Poland and the Czech Republic.
'Water level had risen dramatically' - Vienna suspends underground railway services as heavy rain batters central Europe
Heavy rainfall and subsequent fluvial flooding disrupted underground train services in Vienna on Sunday.
Footage shows the continuous rainfall as the WienFluss river swells, submerging nearby sidewalks in water. Footage also shows the flooded train tracks and empty subway stations, meanwhile, locals can be seen using tramways as an alternative mode of public transportation.
"[The] water level has risen dramatically overnight and immediately we start with protective measures for our underground system. [...] You can see there are these walls - they prevent the water from getting into the system. They keep the infrastructure safe," explained Vienna's Underground Train Service spokesperson Andrea Zefferer.
She also shared that the train service is in constant contact with city officials and emergency organisations to help 'keep the city safe'.
"Never ever before has there been such a great impact of floods on the public transport system in Vienna," Zefferer added. "Four out of five underground lines are affected. They are partly closed due to the floods."
A firefighter died while draining a flooded basement in the Lower Austria region, according to the fire department. Authorities declared the region a natural disaster zone.
Swathes of Austria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have been battered by heavy rains and strong winds since Thursday, triggering flood warnings and evacuations.
Four people have reportedly died in Romania, while one person drowned in Poland, and four remain missing in the Czech Republic. Thousands have been forced to leave their homes across the continent.
The flooding has revived fears of a repeat of the catastrophic 1997 floods that claimed 54 lives and forced 162,000 people to evacuate in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Heavy rainfall and subsequent fluvial flooding disrupted underground train services in Vienna on Sunday.
Footage shows the continuous rainfall as the WienFluss river swells, submerging nearby sidewalks in water. Footage also shows the flooded train tracks and empty subway stations, meanwhile, locals can be seen using tramways as an alternative mode of public transportation.
"[The] water level has risen dramatically overnight and immediately we start with protective measures for our underground system. [...] You can see there are these walls - they prevent the water from getting into the system. They keep the infrastructure safe," explained Vienna's Underground Train Service spokesperson Andrea Zefferer.
She also shared that the train service is in constant contact with city officials and emergency organisations to help 'keep the city safe'.
"Never ever before has there been such a great impact of floods on the public transport system in Vienna," Zefferer added. "Four out of five underground lines are affected. They are partly closed due to the floods."
A firefighter died while draining a flooded basement in the Lower Austria region, according to the fire department. Authorities declared the region a natural disaster zone.
Swathes of Austria, Romania, Hungary, Poland, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic have been battered by heavy rains and strong winds since Thursday, triggering flood warnings and evacuations.
Four people have reportedly died in Romania, while one person drowned in Poland, and four remain missing in the Czech Republic. Thousands have been forced to leave their homes across the continent.
The flooding has revived fears of a repeat of the catastrophic 1997 floods that claimed 54 lives and forced 162,000 people to evacuate in Poland and the Czech Republic.