2024-09-20 15:10 update: 2024-09-22, 14:08
Photo: PAP/Michał Meissner
Andrzej Duda, on Friday, visited the flood-hit town of Ladek-Zdroj, southwestern Poland, as well as other towns in the affected region, the President's Office told PAP.
Jacek Siewiera, the head of the National Security Bureau, said on Thursday that the president would visit the Lower Silesia region in the 'early morning hours' and would later visit other flooded territories.
The president's intention was not to disrupt flood response operations, Siewiera added.
Duda was scheduled to meet with members of the rescue services in the region, the military and local authorities.
The president thanked Prime Minister Donald Tusk and government officials for the "huge commitment," in the affected areas. Duda added that "commitment is indispensable here, so the causes of the flood could be quickly averted."
He also extended his thanks to "soldiers, firefighters, police force, rescuers, and especially medical rescuers and doctors," who are taking part in the rescue efforts.
After being briefed on the work of clearing-up the flooded areas, Duda was told "that currently the biggest worry is that mud and debris in the buildings needed to be cleaned up fast as the mountain towns will soon experience winter temperatures."
Tusk has been working in the flood-stricken areas with government officials for several days.
Since Friday, Poland's southwest has been gripped by a massive and deadly flood wave, which has killed seven and, on Thursday, posed a major threat to the country's third-largest city of Wroclaw. Since then, the government has deployed thousands of rescue and security services personnel to the flooded areas.(PAP)
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