After the devastating floods, the fate of many people is still unclear. Were they able to get to safety in time? The rescue workers continue their work with great effort.
Koblenz / Düsseldorf – The clean-up and salvage work after the flood disaster in western Germany will continue on Friday.
At least 58 people were killed. Dozens of people are still missing after hours of heavy rain turned small rivers in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate into torrential masses of water. Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) promised help with the reconstruction.
The interior minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Roger Lewentz (SPD), assumed that almost 30 deaths were due to the natural disaster in the state in the evening. In view of the large number of around 40 to 60 people still missing, possible further victims are also to be feared, he said on SWR television. In North Rhine-Westphalia, the Ministry of the Interior there spoke of 30 dead and 57 injured in the evening. In the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler district, around 1,300 people are missing, as the district administration announced. A spokeswoman pointed out that many people could not be reached because of the paralyzed cellular network. “We hope that clears up,” she said of the high number.
Special session on help for local authorities
The North Rhine-Westphalian cabinet is holding a special meeting today to discuss the situation and help the affected communities. Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) said in the evening on the ZDF program “maybrit illner” that ways had to be found to get roads, bridges and other infrastructure going again very quickly. The country will help, but “a great national effort is also needed so that the worst things can be eliminated quickly”.
The Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) wants to find out more about the situation in her hometown in Trier that morning. Because of the strong flooding in the Moselle tributary Kyll, thousands of people in Trier and the surrounding area had been brought to safety, and a hospital had to be evacuated. At all authorities in Rhineland-Palatinate the flags are set at half-mast today.
Massive damage in both countries
The damage caused by the water masses is immense in both countries. The state of Rhineland-Palatinate provided 50 million euros as short-term support to repair damage to roads, bridges and other structures. According to Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU), the federal government is also planning an aid program. During her visit to the USA, Chancellor Merkel assured those affected: “We will not leave you alone in this difficult, terrible hour and will also help when it comes to reconstruction.” inform the situation in the flood areas.
Green leader Robert Habeck spoke out in favor of setting up an aid fund. “I would think it would be right if we now set up an aid fund very quickly, as was the case in 2013 after the great Elbe flood,” he told the “Welt”. “We have to help people in such an emergency situation quickly and unbureaucratically, and part of the money for it has to come from the federal budget.” feared financial existence would need clarity quickly. Clean-up work and reconstruction can only be achieved with great solidarity.
Rurtalsperre overflows
In North Rhine-Westphalia the Rurtalsperre overflowed shortly before midnight, “with little dynamism,” as the Eifel-Rur Water Association (WVER) announced. As a result, floods and flooding of houses and cellars are to be expected in the lower reaches of the Rur. The water association warned that people should not be near the river, as there is a risk of being carried away. Also, basements that are full should not be entered because there is a risk of electric shocks. Evacuations can also be expected in areas particularly affected by floods.
Meanwhile, the rescue workers are continuing their search for missing people. The Bundeswehr has now sent around 900 soldiers to the disaster areas in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate to provide support. In the severely affected district of Euskirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia, an expert is to take another look at the Steinbach dam on Friday. The water level had dropped on Thursday evening due to pumping. The process water dam, the dam of which has deep furrows, was classified by an expert as “very unstable” the day before. Therefore, several villages were evacuated for security reasons. Around 4,500 residents were affected.
BKK in action – floods in neighboring countries
The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Aid (BBK) also supports the affected regions in Germany with satellite images, among other things. “The first satellite images from the areas affected by the storm have been recorded this morning. These images will be made available to those involved in crisis management as soon as they are available, ”said Vice President Thomas Herzog of the editorial network Germany. The BBK also takes care of the coordination of aid, for example helicopters to rescue people or tapping points for the delivery of drinking water.
Germany’s neighboring countries are also struggling with floods. In Switzerland, river levels rose sharply after heavy rainfall. According to the Keystone-sda news agency, swollen streams flooded the villages of Schleitheim and Beggingen in the canton of Schaffhausen. Masses of water flowed through streets, into cellars, carried away vehicles and destroyed smaller bridges. In Belgium, people from some communities were brought to safety along the Meuse as a preventive measure, as reported by the Belga news agency. dpa
