Belgium to send troops, flood aid to Czech Republic

BRUSSELS – Belgium will send troops and equipment to the Czech
Republic, where water from the Vltava river has flooded large parts of Prague, including the basement of the Czech National Theatre, said a government spokesman.
The defense ministry said that in response to a Czech government request for aid, it is sending a Hercules C-130 aircraft equipped with pumps and a military team.
France said it is also considering sending aid.
Czech authories have ordered residents to evacuate Prague’s city centre, and so far about 200,000 people have left.
Seven people have been killed in the Czech Republic due to the floods, which is also affecting Austria, Germany, Russia and Slovakia.