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“I am afraid that we will only see the full scope of this disaster in the next few days,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel said in Washington, where she met with US President Joe Biden.
Strong flood currents have unexpectedly affected people in various regions and severely devastated areas. The popular newspaper Bild called the natural disaster a “torrent of death.”
At least nine people died in neighboring Belgium. Luxembourg and the Netherlands have also been severely affected by flooding caused by the rains. Thousands of people have been evacuated from the city of Maastricht.
However, the most affected country was Germany, where at least 59 people died. The death toll is likely to rise as many people remain missing in the worst affected lands of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.
In the Arveiler district in Rhineland-Palatinate, about 1.3 thousand people are still unknown. the fate of the people. However, local officials told Bild that the high number was likely due to a broken phone connection.
Regional Interior Minister Roger Lewentz told SWR: “We believe that 40, 50 or 60 people are still missing. When you don’t get any knowledge from people for so long … you have to fear the worst. “
“The number of victims is likely to increase in the coming days,” the official added.
“A disaster”
The situation looks all the more worrying given the new rains forecast in western Germany, where water levels in the Rhine and its tributaries are rising dangerously.
About a thousand soldiers were dispatched to help with rescue operations and street cleaning in the affected cities and towns.
Water flooded the streets and houses, strong torrential currents hit cars and toppled many trees. Some districts were completely cut off from the outside world.
Scanpix / AP photo / Germany was devastated by floods
Several houses in Arveiler collapsed, it seemed as if the city had been hit by a tsunami.
At least 20 people have been confirmed dead in one of the most devastated cities, Oiskirchen, north of Arveiler.
In the clean and tidy old city center, piles of rubble eroded away as streams destroyed the facades of houses.
There is another danger: a dam could break on the sides.
“My condolences to all those who have lost loved ones during this disaster or who are still concerned about the fate of the missing persons,” Merkel told reporters in Washington.
AFP / Scanpix photo / Germany devastated by floods
The chancellor promised that her government would not leave those affected “alone with their suffering” and added that “everything possible will be done to help those in need.”
Annemarie Mueller, a 65-year-old retiree in Mayen, who gazes from her balcony into her flooded yard and garage, said residents weren’t prepared for this devastating coolness.
“Where is all this rain coming from? It’s crazy, “the woman told AFP. She also shared her impressions of last night when the street was filled with a torrent of tide.
“It just came to our attention then. Knowing how quickly it showed up, we thought it would break the door,” Mueller said.
Four missing persons are still being registered in Belgium. Soldiers were dispatched to four of the country’s 10 provinces to assist in rescue and evacuation operations.
The streets of the spa town have been flooded since Wednesday and evacuated residents are housed in camps.
The overflowing river Mez “will seem very dangerous for Liège”, a nearby city of 200,000 inhabitants. population, said Walloon President Elio Di Rupo.
Climate change?
Anger has once again sparked a debate on climate change in the run-up to German parliamentary elections on September 26, which ended Merkel’s 16-year leadership.
Germany must “prepare much better in the future,” Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said, adding that “these extreme weather events are a consequence of climate change.”
Imago / Scanpix photo / Germany was devastated by the flood
In a warmer atmosphere, more water accumulates, so climate change increases the risk and intensity of floods, with more frequent heavy rains.
Particular damage can be done to urbanized areas with poor water drainage.
In the wake of the latest floods, political candidates immediately took steps to propose measures to mitigate the effects of climate change.
North Rhine-Westphalia Prime Minister Armin Laschet, who succeeded Merkel as a conservative politician, called for increased global efforts to combat climate change and drew attention to the link between global warming and climate. extreme.
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