The number of storm deaths in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia has to be constantly revised upwards. News ticker on the natural disaster in Germany.
- Severe flooding after heavy rain in Germany: Several dead and missing people due to storms.
- The floods hit the Eifel badly, and the floods are also raging in other areas of North Rhine-Westphalia.
- Current developments on the storm in the west of Germany here in the news ticker.
Update from July 16, 7:10 a.m.: After the flood disaster in Rhineland-Palatinate, the number of deaths has risen to 50. “The fear is that there will be more,” said a spokesman for the Koblenz police headquarters on Friday morning. The salvage work continued.
Around 30 deaths were reported from NRW on Thursday evening. The death toll in western Germany thus rises to 80.
Update from July 16, 6:35 a.m.: Chancellor Angela Merkel has promised help to the people in western Germany after the flood disaster. “We will not leave them alone in this difficult, terrible hour and we will also help when it comes to reconstruction,” said Merkel on Thursday after a meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington.
Merkel said that the suffering of those affected was very close to her. It was a day of fear for life and property, a day of worry and despair. Hundreds of thousands should have seen houses become “death traps”.
Meanwhile, the situation in the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler district is worsening. As the district administration confirmed on Thursday evening, 1,300 people are currently missing. A spokeswoman said the cellular network was paralyzed – and therefore there was no cell phone reception and many people could not be reached. “We hope that clears up,” she said to the tall one
Number. At the same time, the district announced that there were more fatalities. The spokeswoman did not want to give concrete figures yet.
As before, over 1000 members of the fire brigade, police, federal armed forces, THW, DRK and other disaster control units from large parts of Rhineland-Palatinate, southern North Rhine-Westphalia and the neighboring Baden-Württemberg are in action.
Update from July 15, 11 p.m .:
| federal state | Known number of fatalities |
| North Rhine-Westphalia | 30 dead |
| Rhineland-Palatinate | 28 dead |
Update from July 15, 10:31 pm: After the tragic extent of the flood-flooded areas became apparent, after Angela Merkel from Washington, other German political figures have expressed their condolences to the victims in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet (CDU) got an idea of the situation in Altena and Hagen, Vice Chancellor Olaf Scholz interrupted his vacation and the polarizing Green Chancellor candidate Annalena Baerbock returned prematurely from her vacation, as the dpa describes.
According to Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU), the federal government will provide an aid program for those affected. “We will set up an emergency aid program,” announced Klöckner. The Bundeswehr has already sent at least 850 men and women to support rescue work in the crisis regions, and auxiliaries from the Bavarian Red Cross (BRK) have been ordered to central Germany.
Storm in Germany: Refugees seek protection – “It’s really devastating”
Update from July 15, 8:42 p.m.: The effects of the dramatic flood situation currently do not appear to be foreseeable at all. The affected federal states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia are constantly receiving new bad news with corrected numbers of victims and the declaration that numerous people are still missing.
According to current knowledge, almost 60 people died after storms in western Germany – and the number will probably continue to grow. Dozens of people are missing in Rhineland-Palatinate. Politicians expressed their sympathy, thanked the helpers and emergency services and made their way to the disaster area. In the affected crisis areas, the situation is extremely confusing.
Meanwhile, the WDR is criticized for its (incomplete?) Reporting and feels compelled to make a statement.
Rescuers brought people to safety in flooded areas, some with boats. Many sought protection from the floods on trees and house roofs, and rescue helicopters were in action. It is difficult to reach the missing because the cellular network has partially failed, said the Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malu Dreyer (SPD). “We have never seen such a disaster. It’s really devastating. “
Flood disaster with severe consequences: Death numbers are increasing inexorably – many missing
Update from July 15, 7:55 p.m.: In one of the biggest storms of the post-war period in Germany, well over 40 people died in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. Dozens of people are missing on Thursday. Since the electricity and telephone network failed in many places and rescue operations were still ongoing, the situation remained confusing. Several districts in the Eifel issued disaster alarms. The economic damage cannot yet be quantified.
The Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler area with 19 deaths and the Euskirchen district south of Cologne with 15 deaths were particularly hard hit, as the responsible police stations announced. Some of the dead have not yet been rescued. The Ahr valley was considered cut off from the outside world and can no longer even be reached via an access road.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the number of confirmed deaths was a total of 26. In addition to the 15 deceased in the Euskirchen area, three people died in Rheinbach. There were also deaths in Cologne, in the Unna district, in Altena, in Geilenkirchen and in Solingen. In view of the many missing people, there could be more deaths. There are also major problems in the neighboring region: at least four people died in neighboring Belgium.
Update from July 15, 6.15 p.m .: The Eifel between Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia is badly hit by the flood disaster *. Pictures from the region document the extent of the destruction caused by the flood – and the use of a police helicopter to rescue residents (see link).
Storms / floods in Germany: Angela Merkel speaks to victims and relatives
Update from July 15, 4:25 p.m.: Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) comments on the flood disaster in the Eifel. “My thoughts are with the people in the flood areas in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate”, says the German head of government with obviously wet eyes and reports of “many video messages from European colleagues showing solidarity with Germany”.
“Heavy rain and floods” “only insufficiently describe” what the people in the Eifel had experienced, she explains: “I am shocked by the reports from the places that are under water. In which people are rescued from the roofs of their houses. ”There have been deaths, reports the Chancellor, and the relatives have“ deeply felt sympathy. There are many that we still have to worry about. Everything is being done to find the missing ”.
Merkel’s voice trembles several times during her statement. She thanks the helpers for their “tireless efforts. I would like to thank the helpers from the bottom of my heart for their commitment, which we know is very dangerous ”. It was “terrible days for the people in the flood areas. All the forces in our state will do everything in their power to save lives, ”she explains. Merkel further describes that after the devastation and damage she had already held talks with the Federal Minister of Finance about possible financial aid. At the moment, however, the “need to save human lives wherever possible” has priority. After a few minutes, their statement was over.
Update from July 15, 4:20 p.m.: Chancellor Angela Merkel (CDU) * wants to comment on the floods in Germany this afternoon, with a focus on the Eifel in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate. The time of the statement by the head of government is not yet known. The fact is: The devastation and damage in many towns and cities is enormous.
Storms / floods in Germany: Disaster kills at least 42 people
Update from July 15, 4.10 p.m.: The most important thing in brief : A bad flood in Germany * devastated large parts of the Eifel between Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia between Wednesday and Thursday. There were also floods and landslides in other cities and districts of North Rhine-Westphalia. As of Thursday afternoon, the natural disaster cost at least 42 people their lives. Dozens were still missing at the time. Thousands of helpers from fire brigades, THW, Bundeswehr and police are on duty. Individuals in enclosed towns are rescued from roofs by police helicopters.
First report from July 15: Munich / Koblenz / Euskirchen – After the police in Koblenz, Rhineland-Palatinate, initially reported five deaths after the flood for the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler area with the severely affected community of Schuld *, they gave the number on Thursday afternoon 18 dead. A police spokesman did not want to give the AFP news agency any information about where the additionally reported dead were found. He was obliged to initially only report the increased number of deaths.
Storms / floods in Germany: Dozens of people missing after the disaster in the Eifel
In the circle, up to 70 people were initially thought to be missing. This number is now likely to be lower, said a police spokesman about the rescue measures.
The consequences of the flood disaster remained unclear in many places on Thursday because power and telephone lines had failed. The Euskirchen district in North Rhine-Westphalia reported at least eight deaths * without giving any details about these cases.
In the video: Dozens of people missing after flooding in the Eifel
As the Cologne police announced, three other people died in the Rhein-Sieg district in Rheinbach. In Euskirchen the number of deaths has risen to 15. “We have never seen such a catastrophe. It is really devastating, ”said the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer. Your state is also badly affected. (mk) * Merkur.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA
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