Almost 9 thousand people are currently working at the dykes and around 3 thousand volunteers are helping flood prevention efforts, Government Spokesperson András Giró-Szász said at a press conference at noon today, adding that a further 16 thousand officers are in reserve from the defence force, police, civil protection and civil guard authorities. At the moment there is a flood alert along 760 kilometres of the Danube and the national technical management corps (OMIT) has set up sandbag-filling areas in 16 locations.

The Government Spokesperson announced that as an EU member state, Hungary may request aid from EU solidarity funds, already demanded by Germany, the Czech Republic and Austria, in order to cover the costs of remediation works after the flood, and asked enterprises and private individuals to submit their claims for damages to the Ministry of Interior.

The evacuation of 55 thousand people along the Római Part stretch of the River Danube, a residential area in northern Budapest, can probably be prevented by elevating the dyke there, Budapest Mayor István Tarlós said today. A total of 30 thousand sandbags have already been placed along the dyke and another 30 thousand bags were prepared during the night, Tarlós said. On Margaret Island, which was closed on Tuesday, 200 thousand sandbags have been deposited and the island will remain protected as long as the water level stays below 900cm.

According to the latest data, water levels have risen to 826 centimetres at Nagybajcs, 721 at Komárom, 667 at Esztergom, 592 at Nagymaros, and 727cm at Budapest. The peak forecast in all critical locations exceeds the highest water level ever measured in Hungary.

(International Communications Office/ Prime Minister’s Office)