Several fatalities and hundreds injured as tornado devastates South Moravia

Prague, June 25 (CTK) - Three people are dead and dozens more were injured in the aftermath of a devastating tornado and hail storm that hit South Moravia on Thursday night, medical rescue service spokeswoman Michaela Bothová told Czech Television this morning.

A thunderstorm with hailstones the size of tennis balls hit mainly the South Moravian districts of Břeclav and Hodonín, destroying homes, vehicles, and snapping trees in half.

Rescuers transferred over 60 people to the hospital, including ten severely injured, Bothová said. "We failed to save three patients' lives," she added.

Dozens of others were treated by rescuers at the scene of the disaster. Other people sought medical attention in the hospital on their own without being treated by EMTs, Bothová said.

She said further cases of injured or dead cannot be ruled out, as rescue teams continue searching the ruins of the numerous destroyed buildings and homes.

The villages worst hit by the extreme thunderstorm which was accompanied by a tornado are Moravská Nová Ves, Lužice, Hrušky, and Mikulčice.

Interior Minister Jan Hamáček told ČTK that a state of emergency was declared for the Břeclav and Hodonín districts around midnight, allowing for rapid steps to be taken by the crisis staff.

Some villages were isolated from rescuers due to blocked roads and had to be evacuated from their homes. As of this morning more than 40,000 households or offices in South Moravia are without electricity.

Over 100 firefighting units, assisted by dog handlers and heavy equipment, continue their search for survivors in the ruins of the municipalities around Hodonín, Jaroslav Mikoška, a spokesman for HZS Jihomoravského kraje, told reporters today.

"The injuries were mainly dealt with during the night, but we still have three municipalities where the search continues in buildings where some injured may be. These are Moravská Nová Ves, Lužice, and Mikulčice," he said.

The regional office has established an info line to help locals.

A spokesperson from the Czech Hydrometeorological Institute (CHMI), confirmed to Czech Radio last night that the storm was definitely a tornado.

According to the CHMI, there are on average about five tornados a year in the Czech Republic. However, in some years there up to ten or fifteen tornados reported while in other years there are no tornadoes reported.

Prime Minister Andrej Babiš described the natural disaster in the Hodonín and Břeclav regions as a huge tragedy. He intends to visit the area on Friday.

The Minister of Finance, Alena Schillerová, tweeted last night that the government will immediately release CZK 10 million in emergency aid.