Floods in Europe: there are more than 180 dead and dozens missing

Throughout Western Europe there are already 183 dead and dozens missing, following the floods in different territories.

In Germany, at least 156 people have died since Wednesday in the worst floods in recent memory, and 27 others perished in Belgium.

Rescue teams from both countries are looking for survivors in the rubble in dangerous conditions. Extreme rains also hit Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

The waters have started to recede in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia (RNW), and concern turned to the southern region of Upper Bavaria, where heavy rains flooded basements and flooded rivers and streams on Saturday evening.

One person died in Berchtesgadener Land, he said AFP spokesperson for the Bavarian district.

In Austria, rescuers in the Salzburg and Tyrol regions were on flood alert. The historic town of Hallein, near the German border, was covered in water.

The German government has stated that intends to create a special fund to repair the damage, the cost of which could reach billions of dollars.

RESCUE TEAMS

The dimensions of the impact of the flooding have gradually become clearer in Germany, when assessing the damage to buildings, some of which will be demolished, and advance efforts to restore gas, electricity and telephone services.

In certain regions, soldiers used armored vehicles to clear debris from the streets. In more difficult to reach places, divers have been used to search for homes and submerged vehicles.

The local authorities of Rhineland-Palatinate and RNW have indicated that There are dozens of missing people in both states, although they said the disruption of communication networks made it difficult to make an accurate assessment. of the situation.

Rover Lewentz, Rhineland-Palatinate’s interior minister, said more than 670 people were injured in the state.

“I have lived here all my life, I was born here and I have never seen anything like it”, said Gregor Degen, a baker from the devastated town of Bad Neuenahr Ahrweiler, near Schuld.

Across the border in Belgium, the death toll has risen to 27 and several people are still missing.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister Alexander de Croo visited the flooded areas of Rochefort and Pepinster in Belgium on Saturday.

“Europe is with you,” Von der Leyen tweeted after the visit. “We are with you in your pain and we will be with you in the reconstruction.”

Belgium declared Tuesday an official day of mourning.

(With information from AFP)

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