Another flood fatality. Many towns cut off from the world

According to the Austrian police, the tragedy occurred in the town of Tulln an der Donau. The elderly woman drowned in her own home, which was flooded by the waters of the rising Danube. This is the fifth victim of this year's flood in Lower Austria.

At the weekend, the police reported that a firefighter had lost his life in a rescue operation. On Monday morning, two men from Lower Austria lost their lives – an 80-year-old from Hoebersdorf and a 70-year-old from Untergrafendorf. Both drowned in their homes. Also on Monday, the body of a man aged 40-50 was fished out of the Danube in Klosterneuburg. The weather situation in Lower Austria is stabilising. On Tuesday morning, the rainfall stopped and the river levels stopped rising. Earlier – on Sunday – a state of natural disaster was declared in the entire region.

In addition to the rescue services, soldiers are also on site, working primarily where flood banks or barriers have broken. In addition, a dozen or so towns have been evacuated, and several more are cut off from the world. The army, which is fighting not only the flood but also its effects, must grapple with new, unprecedented difficulties. Namely, private drone operators who record flooded areas are proving to be a major problem. In connection with this, the Ministry of Defence issued a statement appealing to civilians not to use drones in flooded areas. As stated in a statement published on the ministry's website, the devices pose a threat to the safety of helicopters and aircraft taking part in the rescue operation. “Civilian drones can have a huge impact on rescue and search operations in all phases of flight. They can distract pilots from the rescue operation or, in the worst case, lead to a collision,” warns the Austrian Ministry of Defence.