Hungarian settlements in danger near flooding river

Flood defences are being strengthened in four settlements in Zala County, in western Hungary, around the flooding River Mura, which is likely to peak on Monday night, the local disaster management authorities have said.

Volunteers have used thousands of sandbags and mobile barriers to protect local villages, according to the Zala County Disaster Management Directorate’s website.

The water level of the River Mura was 548 centimeters at Letenye on Monday afternoon, and it is expected to peak at midnight.

The highest water level previously measured at Letenye was 554 centimeters.

Flood defence work is under way in other parts of the country, too, after the water level on the River Dráva reached a record 491 centimeters at Őrtilos, in the south-west, 15 centimetres higher than the previous record, the national water management directorate (OVF) told MTI.

The river’s water level is expected to peak at the southern border village of Drávaszabolcs on Thursday, topping the 596 centimeter record measured in 1972, the OVF said.