Intense thunderstorms have wreaked havoc across parts of Britain, as floods blocked roads and train lines, left factory workers trapped, shut schools and prompted hundreds of calls to the emergency services. A major search was also launched for a young missing soldier who was swept away while attempting to cross a swollen beck while on a "routine exercise".
Three soldiers fell into Risedale Beck on Hipswell Moor, near Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire Police said.
Two were rescued, but soldiers, police, Swaledale Mountain Rescue Team and an RAF helicopter were involved in the hunt for the third soldier.
And more than 40 workers were trapped inside their factory after floodwaters up to 6ft deep encircled the building.
Night shift workers at toolmaker WH Smith & Sons in Minworth, West Midlands, had been due to clock off at 8am.
Manufacturing manager Dennis Rodway said staff had been advised to shelter on the first floor of the two-storey factory after the nearby River Tame burst its banks.
A 14-year-old boy was rescued from a swollen stream in Sheffield after 41-year-old Craig Stenton bravely waded in and grabbed the teenager. The youngster fell into a beck in the Chapeltown area of Sheffield.
Helicopter crews have reported "appalling" conditions as they assisted with a series of flood-related rescues and incidents in the Yorkshire area.
A spokesman for the rescue co-ordination centre at RAF Kinloss, in Scotland, said three RAF helicopters had been used in operations in Yorkshire during the day and one was being based overnight at RAF Linton, near Wetherby, to assist with ongoing problems.
Sem comentários:
Enviar um comentário