Dramatic footage of floods in Germany that killed hundreds

A climate of desolation and anguish reigns in Europe after the floods in Germany last Friday what they leave hundreds of deaths and multi-million dollar losseswhile thousands of rescuers try to find the whereabouts of the dozens of people still missing.

“I am sorry for the lives that were lost in this disaster”, said the German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said she was “shocked” by the floods that hit the west of Germany but also cities in neighboring Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and even eastern France.

The very strong storm caused major flooding, landslides and property damage as a result of heavy storms and overflowing rivers. The most affected sites are the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate, jurisdictions which bring together a population of 22 million people and where various cities were razed.

Hundreds of people die in Germany as a result of heavy storm

“The situation is very alarming”he told the newspaper Photo the regional head of North Rhine-Wesphalia and candidate for Angela Merkel’s succession in September, Armin Laschet. In these regions of western Germany, crossed by the Rhine, the floods were mainly due to small rivers, which left their channel because of heavy rains and invaded inhabited areas, built in places unsuitable for building houses.

In addition, Belgium was the second most affected country in the region and also reported dozens of deaths due to the storm, Prime Minister Alexander de Croo therefore referred to an “unprecedented” toll and called for mourning on Tuesday. national.

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In all the affected towns, firefighters, civil protection services, local authorities and the military have already started cleaning up the rubble and mud. For their part, after the rains stopped, the inhabitants who were able to return home were confronted with a desolate scenario which includes semi-destroyed houses, uprooted trees, blown vehicles, sunken roads and bridges or power outages.

The meteorological phenomenon at the origin of the storm was caused by the meeting of two air masses, one coming from the Mediterranean, very hot and humid, and the other colder coming from the Atlantic, according to the meteorologist Mark Eisemann, of the public channel. ARD.

According to European media, is the worst climate disaster since 2002, when floods had also been recorded, in this case in East Germany, and puts the issue of climate change on the agenda on the eve of Chancellor elections on September 26.

CDI / FF