All children from flooded summer camp in Belgium evacuated to safety

Ambassador Sadoś informed that Poland's Permanent Representation to the EU organised a transport convoy that would take the children to Brussels.

The evacuation was carried out by the Belgian army, with the use of pontoons. More than 60 kids and their caretakers were taken to safety.

"All children are safe. Thanks to all for help, the embassy, the consul, Poland's Permanent Representation to the EU and the mayor (of Comblain-la Tour)" - said the chairwoman of the Polish Educational Society Barbara Wojda.

She added that food supplies, usually meant for extra three days, helped the vacationers to survive.

"There's huge damage. The building has been renovated over the last five years. We hope for support from Belgian authorities, Polish diaspora and Poland's government," Wojda said. Poland's consul Jacek Grabowski said the evacuation was carried out swiftly. "All children and their caretakers have been safely evacuated. Now, they will be taken to Brussels," he added.

More than 60 children were trapped in a summer camp organised by the Polish Educational Society in Comblain-la-Tour in eastern Belgium. All roads leading to the resort have been flooded.

Belgium's crisis centre urged people in the south and east of the country to avoid all travel on Friday as the death toll from swollen and burst rivers and flash floods rose to 14. A week of rain finally came to an end, but several communities across parts of Belgium were nervously watching as the river Meuse, which flows through the city of Liege in eastern Belgium, continued to rise and threatened to overflow. In the town of Maaseik, on the Dutch border, the Meuse had risen beyond a retaining wall and was spilling past bags placed on top. Several towns and villages were already submerged, including Pepinster near Liege, where around 10 houses partially or fully collapsed. Belgian media put the death toll at least 14 people, with a further four missing.

The crisis centre, which is coordinating rescue efforts together with regional authorities, said many roads were blocked or dangerous. It said France, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Austria and Italy had provided assistance and personnel, including rescuers, boats, helicopters and all-terrain vehicles. More than 20,000 people in the southern region Wallonia were without electricity. Others lacked clean water. Thousands of residents have been evacuated from low-lying areas. Large parts of the rail network in southern Belgium were unusable, with certain sections of track swept away. High-speed train services to Germany were also suspended, with disruption expected to continue into Saturday.