Factories and stores across central Europe shuttered production lines and closed their doors on Monday due to flooding.
Loss Of Lives
At least 10 persons were killed in the flooding and tens of thousands had to be evacuated.
The flooding also submerged towns from Poland to Romania.
Plants Face Closure
In Ostrava – an industrial city of 290,000 people in northeast Czech Republic – BorsodChem chemical plant was shut.
A spokesperson for the company, partially owned by China’s Wanhua Chemical Group, said that the chemical plant was shut.
Coking plant OKK Koksovny – one of the largest producers of foundry coke in Europe – has stopped chemicals production.
It however continued to keep coking batteries heated to minimum levels, spokesman Jindrich Vanek told Reuters.
“There is water that has started rising and there must be a breach of the flood barriers,” he said.
No Electricity
“We are without electricity and we are heating our batteries with coking gas, keeping them at technological minimum.”
Border areas between the Czech Republic and Poland were hit hard over the weekend, following days of heavy rain.
Damage To Infrastructure
Some bridges collapsed and homes were destroyed.
Villages and towns in eastern Romania in Europe were also submerged.
While rivers in the Czech-Polish border area were starting to recede on Monday, flooding was widening to more areas.
Bigger cities in both countries are on alert.
Veolia Energie has shut its Trebovice electricity and heating plant, which cut hot water and heating supplies to large parts of Ostrava following flood damage.
Interruption In Supply of Hot Water
“At the moment, the supply of heat and hot water in Ostrava is interrupted,” the company said.
“The key technologies remained undamaged and therefore if the situation develops favourably, we estimate the restoration of supplies in a few days.”
The Czech Confederation of Industry said some companies not directly affected by the flooding still had to stop production in hard-hit regions.
They faced problems transporting materials by rail.
Hydroelectric Plants In Southern Poland Also Affected
Power utility Tauron said six of its hydroelectric plants in southern Poland were not working due to the floods.
More than 60,000 people had to manage without power on Monday morning, its press service said.
Polish retailer Zabka said around 80 outlets were currently closed, mainly in the area around the southwest town of Klodzko.
Shops Closed
The shops were closed due to flooding, lack of electricity or evacuation ordered by the emergency services, its press service told Reuters via email on Monday.
The retailer, owned by private equity fund CVC Capital Partners, added that it had provided water, provisions and transport support to its franchisees and was gathering information on their needs.
(With Inputs From Reuters)
