Experts appointed by the District Prosecutor's Office in Jelenia Góra are examining the excavation in the embankment suspected of causing the September 15 flood. The spokeswoman for the prosecutor's office, Ewa Węklarowicz-Makowska, said the case's progress depends on expert evaluations.
"Further proceedings depend on the experts' findings," Węklarowicz-Makowska told Polish Radio. "One expert is a hydrologist who will assess the hydrological conditions at the site. The other is a surveyor tasked with determining the nature of the construction."
She added: "We need to establish whether the breach was made in a flood protection levee in the literal sense or in another type of embankment commonly referred to as a flood levee."
Residents of the Jeleniogórskie Zatorze district allege that an old dyke from a former fish pond was deliberately excavated on the orders of a local entrepreneur seeking to shield his investment from rising waters. The action allegedly released a large volume of water into the urban area, flooding several streets, basements, and gardens.
City councilors in Jelenia Góra are scheduled to receive a briefing from the mayor about the flood on Wednesday. Affected residents plan to attend the meeting and are considering a class-action lawsuit against the resort owner.
State of emergency declared
Last week, the Polish government declared a state of natural disaster in regions affected by the flooding. The decree covers parts of the Lower Silesian, Opole, and Silesian provinces and will remain in effect for 30 days.
In the Lower Silesian Voivodeship, the state of emergency includes the districts of Kamienna Góra, Karkonosze, Kłodzko, Lwówek, Wałbrzych, and Ząbkowice, as well as the cities of Wałbrzych and Jelenia Góra.
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Source: Polskie Radio 24