Austria firefighter dies in flood as leader warns of 'dramatic' hours

A firefighter in northern Austria has died as he worked in a flooded building, authorities in the state of Lower Austria, which surrounds Vienna, said on Sunday.

The firefighter was pumping water from a cellar when he died, the state's crisis management team said.

"We are experiencing difficult and dramatic hours in Lower Austria," said state Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner.

"For many people in Lower Austria, these will be the hardest hours of their lives," she added. "We will do everything we can to hold back the water and protect the country and its people."

The water on the Wien river that runs through Vienna was flowing high and fast on Sunday, however in most places the metre-high walls were still holding.

Vienna's underground lines have been hit by disruptions and Austrian rail operator ÖBB suspended train services on a line south of the Danube.