At least nine people died during a weekend of floods in the region straddling Poland, Germany and the Czech Republic, authorities said. Heavy rainfalls swelled rivers in the border regions of the three countries, flooding towns and forcing people to seek refuge on roofs, bridges and in trees, dpa reported. Three people died in Poland, Interior Minister Jerzy Miller said. Media identified them as two women, and a fireman who was washed away as he tried to secure a dyke. A Polish politician and his driver only survived after spending nine hours holding on to a tree after their car was caught up in the floods. German authorities remained on high alert Sunday and evacuated 1,500 residents, as record-high flood levels were reported on the Neisse River. Three people had died near the German city of Chemnitz the previous day, as they were caught out by rapidly rising water in a cellar, where they were trying to rescue their washing machines. Three men also drowned in the north-western Czech Republic over the weekend. Czech media reported that the floods claimed another life late Saturday, but police could not confirm it.
