“Rhineland-Palatinate has never experienced a disaster of this kind,” says Malu Dreyer. The Prime Minister visited the disaster area in her state today.
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler – During a visit to the disaster area in the Ahrweiler district, the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) expressed concern about the fate of the 50 to 70 people still missing.
Hopefully these are with good friends and relatives, because they managed to escape from the water in time, Dreyer said. “But we cannot rule out the worst at all at the moment.” Later she added: “We pray that these people will be found and that they will be found as unharmed as possible.”
There are still people who sit on trees or roofs, said the head of government. On the drive to Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, she witnessed the rescue of a man by the voluntary fire brigade in a submerged residential area, who had escaped to safety yesterday evening over the scaffolding of a shell.
“Rhineland-Palatinate has never experienced a disaster of this kind,” said Dreyer. “Our country is in mourning today.” Her sympathy goes to the relatives of the victims – their number rose to 19 on Thursday
