Severe floods after torrential downpours killed six people in the Czech Republic, emergency services said on Thursday.
Hundreds of people were evacuated and houses swept away by rising floodwaters in the east of the country, where authorities have declared a state of emergency. Several villages were cut off on Thursday.
A 55-year-old woman was swept away by a swollen river at Novy Jicin and three other people drowned in the village of Jesenik-nad-Odrou, police spokesman Miroslava Michalkova-Salkova said.
A further two died after suffering suspected heart attacks and could not be treated on time because of the floods, fire service spokesman Petr Kudela said.
"Several houses in Jesenik-nad-Odrou were washed away by the floodwaters. In one building, firefighters saved about 20 people," he added.
Local authorities have declared a state of emergency in the region, which was hit by devastating floods in 1997 that claimed 50 lives.
A regional crisis group was convened overnight to tackle the floods, which has caused serious damage in the area. About 2,000 people were left without gas because of a damaged gas pipeline close to a swollen river.
Stretches of local train lines have been closed by the floods, train company CD said.
Weather forecasters have warned of heavy rainfall in coming days.
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