After large-scale floods hit Europe, more than 60 people were confirmed dead in Germany, Belgium and Luxembourg on Thursday.
According to German state-owned media Deutsche Welle, at least 58 people have died in Germany, and another 9 people have been confirmed dead in Belgium. Another 1,300 people are missing in the Ahrweiler area of Germany. The media said that this may be due to a malfunction of the mobile network in the area and communication difficulties.
Heavy rains in the area also caused severe flooding in the Netherlands and Luxembourg. According to reports, at least 6 houses in Germany collapsed in the downpour, and another 25 buildings are under surveillance due to the direct risk of collapse.
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Most of the confirmed deaths in Germany occurred in the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate where the Ahrweiler region is located. Expect more rain in the area on Friday.
“[It is] A day marked by fear, despair, and pain,” the German Chancellor Angela Merkel Said in a joint press conference with the president Joe Biden In the White House. “Suddenly, thousands of people are facing disaster. Their houses are like death traps.”
Merkel added: “I must say that I express my sympathy and sympathy for all those who have lost their loved ones in this disaster or are still worried about the fate of missing persons.” “I also include Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands, which have also suffered floods. .”
Biden said, “I express my sincere condolences and the condolences of the American people for the devastating loss of life and damage caused by floods in Germany and neighboring countries in the past 24 hours.”
“This is a tragedy, and our hearts are broken – our hearts are with the families who have lost their loved ones,” the president said.
At least 10 houses in Belgium collapsed and residents were forced to evacuate more than 1,000 other houses. Liege, Belgium’s fourth largest city, has been hit particularly hard. Residents living near the flooded Meuse River were ordered to leave the area.
A spokeswoman from the Ahrweiler area told Deutsche Well that she hopes that the situation of the 1,300 unaccounted residents “can be clarified”, and they may simply be unable to communicate due to a mobile network interruption.
Ahrweiler’s spokeswoman confirmed that the death toll in the area has increased, but did not give a specific figure, although 18 deaths have been confirmed before. Local residents expressed shock at the damage caused by the heavy rain.
Michael Ahrend, a resident of Ahrweiler, told Reuters: “I was very surprised. I thought that one day there would be water flowing into this place, but that is not the case.” Pay attention to it.”
Newsweek contacted the German Embassy in Washington for comments.
