The Federal President thanks the flood helpers in North Rhine-Westphalia who had worked “to exhaustion and beyond”. The Chancellor will travel to the disaster area in Rhineland-Palatinate on Sunday.
Erfstadt – consolation from the head of state: During his visit to the flood hotspot Erftstadt in North Rhine-Westphalia, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier was deeply concerned. “Your fate breaks our hearts,” he said to those affected who lost relatives in the flood disaster.
He had “met people who have lost a lot,” the SPD politician continued. Much is “not easy to restore”. It is “a time of need” – but “in need our country stands together”.
The Federal President thanked the helpers of the flood disaster – “on behalf of all Germans”. Many would have worked “to exhaustion and beyond”.
The call for help from all parts of the region is “big and urgent”. Steinmeier appealed that the flood victims would still have to be supported if the topic was no longer big on all front pages. “The willingness to support, it has to persist, on both a large and small scale.” Many people in the flood areas had “nothing left, except their hope. And we must not disappoint this hope, ”said Steinmeier.
Chancellor on Sunday in Rhineland-Palatinate
The Chancellor is also expected in the disaster region this weekend: According to the State Chancellery in Mainz, Angela Merkel is planning a visit to the heavily devastated areas in Rhineland-Palatinate on Sunday. At a video conference with NRW Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU), the Chancellor had promised short and long-term support from the federal government for the people affected.
Laschet visited Erftstadt on Saturday with Steinmeier. Once again he described the flood as a “catastrophe of the century”. It is a “national task” to help the affected region. State and municipalities could not do this alone.
The Union Chancellor candidate promised direct aid for the people affected and said that it would be “paid out very unbureaucratically money”. After that, together with the federal government, the cities will have to “structurally” help them to rebuild.
Baerbock in the flood area – without the press
Green chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock also traveled to the crisis areas after breaking off her vacation. As a spokeswoman announced, the party leader wants to find out about the situation of the people on site. In doing so, she deliberately refrains from accompanying the press or making public appearances.
According to the information, Baerbock arrived in Mainz on Friday. She wrote on Twitter: “The conversations are getting under your skin. As before, not all places have been reached, people are further cut off. At the same time there is an unbelievable solidarity to help, to take in those affected at home and to support them. “
Unclear victim situation in Erftstadt
Meanwhile, the clean-up and rescue work in the disaster areas continues. It remains to be seen whether there are any fatalities in Erftstadt. On Saturday, the Bundeswehr began rescuing cars and trucks that had been surprised by the water masses on a federal highway. It is unclear whether all drivers were able to leave their cars on time – but no bodies have been found so far.
Search and rescue work is also continuing in Rhineland-Palatinate. Thousands of rescue workers are still in the Eifel, where the masses of water devastated entire places on Thursday night. More than two days after the accident, people are still missing. So far 98 fatalities have been found in Rhineland-Palatinate. In both federal states, more than 140 people have died as a result of the flood. dpa
