The government will on Tuesday start an assessment of flood-related damage and set the schedule for the post-flood clean-up, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said on Tuesday in the village of Tököl, south of Budapest, stressing, however, that there are another two tough days ahead.

He said the Danube is at present cresting south of the city at Dunaújvaros and is expected to peak further in the south at Baja on Wednesday and later at Mohács on Thursday.

As the Danube recedes in the north, Hungarian army units in flood operations have been moved to the south, the Defence Ministry informed. A total of 1 200 troops equipped with Mi-8 and Mi-17 helicopters and special equipment have been dispatched to help at the river section between Dunaföldvar and Mohács, the Ministry said. Csaba Hende told this morning’s press conference that the government will offer to dispatch some 1 000 Hungarian troops to its southern neighbour Serbia to help flood protection operations there as well.

After cresting at 8.9-8.92 metres in Budapest late on Sunday, the river has been continuously receding, but the water level was still measured 11 cm above the 2006 record level of 8.60 metres on Monday night, the national technical management corps (OMIT) informed. The flooding Danube continued to crest during the night south of Budapest and the water level is rising further at its sections in the south.

(Prime Minister's Office)