RESCUERS have already searched 49 car wracks in Vrátna Dolina, a valley in the Malá Fatra mountains, but found no casualties related to the July 21 deluge. They, however, still cannot definitively say there have been no deaths as there are still stone landslides that are two to three metres high, the Sme daily reported in its July 24 issue.
“Nothing could be excluded 100 percent, but I am optimistic as nobody has reported a disappearance so far,” Terchová Mayor Milan Laurenčík said, as quoted by Sme.
The Mountain Rescue Service (HZS), however, did say on July 23 that they found a dead body of a 38-year-old Polish tourist, who likely was struck by lightning, near Terchová. According to the website, mountain rescue team immediately requested the Interior Ministry’s squadron to take them to the site on board of a helicopter. After landing in Snilovské Sedlo, the rescuers found the body near the tourist trail, and transported the corpse by helicopter to the HZS centre in Terchová, where it was handed over to a doctor and the police, the TASR newswire wrote.
“The exact cause and time of death, however, will be determined by an autopsy,” said the mountain rescue team, as quoted by TASR.
Terchová mayor and the crisis team have also started calculating the damage. Total damage to village property may amount to about €500,000, while total damages may rise to €5 million, Laurenčík told Sme. Both Terchová and Žilina Region say they will ask Prime Minister Robert Fico and his government for financial aid.
Meanwhile, the representatives of Terchová said they will not cancel the international folklore festival Jánošíkove Dni (Jánošík’s Days) that will take place between July 24 and 27.
“The organisers decided on Tuesday [July 22] that despite the consequences of the flood the festival will take place,” Laurenčík said, as quoted by the SITA newswire, adding that the only change will be the route of the horse-drawn carriages.
The biggest problem of the festival was supply of drinking water since the deluge destroyed the aqueduct. Laurenčík, however, said that this should be soon solved.
Source: Sme, TASR, SITA
Compiled by Radka Minarechová from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
