BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhuanet) -- has dispatched thousands of soldiers to help its cities and towns cope with flooding.

Chancellor Angela Merkel has toured the city of Pirna in the state of Saxony. She’s pledged at least 100 million euros or 130 million US dollars in immediate aid for flood-hit areas. The death toll in the flooding that has hit central Europe rose to at least 10 on Tuesday, including seven in the Czech Republic.

Another nine people are reported missing in the floods that have swept through Switzerland and Austria. Austrian authorities are expecting water levels to rise another 30 centimeters.

(Source: CNTV.cn)