Torrential Rains in Romania Cause Fatalities and Widespread Flooding

Five deaths have been reported in eastern Romania due to severe rainstorms. Rescue services scrambled to save 95 people. Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu is expected to visit the affected areas. The storms also forecast severe flooding in numerous central European nations, highlighting the climate change impact.

Five people in eastern Romania have been found dead after torrential rainstorms left scores of people stranded in flooded areas, emergency authorities said on Saturday.

Rescue services scrambled to save 95 people in the hard-hit eastern counties of Galati and Vaslui, where the bodies were discovered in Pechea, Draguseni, Costache Negri, and Corod. The Department for Emergency Situations has not yet provided specifics on the cause of death.

Rescue operations included evacuating an elderly man using a small lifeboat, and a Black Hawk helicopter was deployed to aid in the search and rescue missions. The storms have affected 19 localities across eight counties, downing trees, damaging vehicles, and blocking traffic.

Authorities alerted residents via text messages about the severe weather conditions, and emergency services worked to remove floodwaters from homes and clear closed roads. Romania's Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu canceled planned engagements to assess the situation firsthand in Galati county.

Prime Minister Ciolacu plans to discuss urgent support measures with local authorities for communities hit by the floods. Meanwhile, central European nations including the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, Germany, Slovakia, and Hungary brace for predicted severe flooding.

(With inputs from agencies.)