Weather expert Jörg Kachelmann is to appear before the committee of inquiry into the flood disaster in North Rhine-Westphalia. His statement could burden the state government.
Düsseldorf – Almost four months ago, the flood of the century occurred in North Rhine-Westphalia. More than 180 people in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate lost their lives in the process, causing billions in damage. The state parliament now wants to deal with the disaster in a committee of inquiry. Possible omissions, omissions or miscalculations by the Westphalian state government, consisting of the CDU and FDP, are to be uncovered.
Weather expert Jörg Kachelmann is among the first witnesses. The former television presenter had sent a tweet the day before the catastrophe in North Rhine-Westphalia in which he warned that “it may be time to gradually prepare people for a flood scenario, both officially and in the media.”
Kachelmann and other experts testify: Does the state government have something to hide?
Kachelmann’s hearing will take place on Friday (November 26th, 2021) around 4.30 p.m. Shortly beforehand, the British hydrology professor Hannah Cloke is to be questioned in the investigative committee. Cloke had contributed to the development of the European flood warning system EFAS and accused the authorities of a “monumental” system failure after the flood disaster. According to media reports, it is still unclear whether the head of the NRW State Chancellery, Nathanael Liminski, will testify. He has not yet confirmed his participation in the committee.
The SPD accuses the state government of blocking the flood investigations. The committee members have still not received the complete files, “although everyone knows how high the interest in clarification is,” said SPD parliamentary group leader Thomas Kutschaty in an interview with the daily newspaper Neue Westfälische.
It is said that the CDU and FDP would “hardly work at all” in clearing up the catastrophe. That raises the question of whether the current state government has something to hide, said the opposition leader. Just respect for the victims of the disaster actually dictated that the state government should do everything to clear up this matter quickly. (aa / dpa)
