Reuters-Towns In Poland Submerged After Flooding; Seven Found Dead

Man struggles in flood waters of Chrastava, Poland:David W. Cerny/Reuters

(Story reported by Peter Graff and edited by Andrew Dobbie for Reuters)

(Reuters) - Heavy rain in central Europe has caused floods which killed at least seven people, cut off towns and forced the evacuation of residents from submerged villages by helicopter, authorities and local media said Saturday.

The Polish town of Bogatynia was cut off after a river overflowed its banks, covering the main bridge leading into the town and sweeping away several smaller bridges.

"At this moment we need everything," said Andrzej Grzemielewicz, mayor of the town of 18,000. "We need helicopters. People are on their roofs. The situation is dramatic."

Several buildings had collapsed in the town and local media reported one person was killed.

In the Czech Republic, the news agency CTK reported three people had been killed by floods in the north of the country.

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