A firefighter dies as torrential rain lashes Austria

VIENNA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) — A firefighter in northeastern Austria has died in floods as torrential rain and heavy storms swept across the central European country, authorities said on Sunday.
The firefighter was pumping water from a flooded building in the state of Lower Austria when the incident occurred, local authorities said.
The entire state of Lower Austria was declared a natural disaster zone on Sunday morning following relentless heavy rainfall that caused severe flooding, the Austrian news agency APA reported.
Governor of Lower Austria Johanna Mikl-Leitner said that more than 25,000 emergency personnel had been deployed. Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer pledged support from the federal government for the state and its communities.
Torrential rain also caused casualties in the Austrian capital of Vienna. By Sunday evening, six people in Vienna had been injured by falling branches or trees, according to the city government.
The Wien River, which runs through Vienna, reached a peak water level of 3.9 meters around 11 a.m. (0900 GMT) on Sunday and overflowed part of the river banks. Several metro lines in the city were also disrupted by floods on Sunday morning, APA reported. ■