Since around 11.00 a.m. today, pioneers from the Austrian Armed Forces have been securing a stage on the Drau. It is in danger of drifting away due to the flood.
Seven soldiers from Pioneer Battalion 1 – with the help of a storm and shallow water boat and a push boat – anchor the multimedia show installation on the banks of the Drau together with the Villach fire department. The high water level of the river threatened to tear loose the platform anchored in the Villach Congress Center area. For this reason, the city of Villach called on the Austrian Armed Forces to assist this morning.
After being secured on the banks of the Drau, the multimedia show installation is transported by the pioneers on the water in a controlled manner to the dredging harbor of the city of Villach, where it is dismantled and stored in close cooperation with the Villach fire department.
“The Armed Forces are always ready to help the population. This operation in particular shows how quickly our soldiers are on the scene and defuse crisis situations together with the fire department. I would like to thank all those involved for fulfilling their task of protecting the population and infrastructure in the shortest possible time and under dangerous conditions,” said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner.
The assistance mission is expected to be completed this evening.
