Two die in Sheffield flood chaos

Hundreds of people are trapped inside factories. Pic by Paul Fisher

Two people have been killed in Sheffield as massive floods raged through the city.

Police hunting for a 13-year-old boy who was swept away in Millhouses Park found a body about a quarter of a mile from where he vanished.

And a 68-year-old man died as he was washed away as he got out of his car in the Wicker area.

Hundreds of people were trapped in homes and offices and RAF helicopters flew in to help with the rescue.

About 20 people were airlifted from the roof of a building in Sheffield's Lower Don Valley, while emergency services evacuated 200 people from another area of the city.

The bright yellow helicopters were seen flying over the city as they tried to winch as many people as possible to safety.

Among those waiting to be flown clear of inundated buildings were a woman with a heart condition and a woman with a baby in the Brightside area of the city.

Hundreds of people were thought to be stranded inside buildings on an industrial estate in Brightside Lane, Sheffield.

Businesses on Brightside Lane are surrounded by water.

There are about 40 units on the Brightside Lane industrial complex, employing between three and 30 people each.

Police said one small building had collapsed and a number of others have been subjected to pressure from the floodwaters.

Ronnie Metcalfe, spokeswoman for the rescue centre at RAF Kinloss, said she did not how many people had been airlifted but emergency services had rescued hundreds in the Sheffield area.

She said: "Our main concern is to prioritise those in the most distressing circumstances and try to get them out as quickly as possible.

"We've got three helicopters operating in the Sheffield area and our priority is the Brightside area."

'Unprecedented floods'

South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service said it was dealing with more than 70 flood related incidents late on Monday night - hours after the main downpours had brought chaos to the city.

Chief Fire Officer Mark Smitherman said: "These are unprecedented levels of flooding. We were dealing with a call every 30 seconds."

Rescue efforts were hampered because the brigade was unable to secure back up from other areas because neighbouring services were also battling against flood emergencies.

Emergency services evacuated 200 people from Sheffield's Winn Gardens estate. They were given shelter at two nearby schools.

Roads across the county have been closed due to flooding and people have been advised to avoid travelling.

Hospital problems

All bus services operated by First in Sheffield have been temporarily withdrawn.

A spokesman said Tuesday services may also be affected as a result of Monday's road closures.

Sheffield railway station has been evacuated.

A spokesman for Sheffield's Northern General Hospital said the weather was causing some problems for staff, patients and visitors.

He added: "We are having problems regarding staff getting to the hospital and we are appealing for local staff who can get to the hospital to come back to work."

Many parts of the county suffered severe flooding just over a week ago.

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