BERLIN – Rescue workers across Germany and Belgium rushed Friday to prevent more deaths from the continent’s worst flooding in years as the disaster …
BERLIN – Rescue workers across Germany and Belgium rushed Friday to prevent more deaths from the continent’s worst flooding in years as the disaster claimed dozens more lives and the search went on for hundreds of missing people. The death toll stood at more than 125. Fueled by days of heavy rain, the floodwaters also left thousands of Germans homeless after their dwellings were destroyed or deemed to be at risk, and elected officials began to worry about the lingering economic effects from lost homes and businesses. Elsewhere in Europe, dikes on swollen rivers were at risk of collapsing, and crews raced to reinforce flood barriers. Sixty-three people perished in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, including 12 residents of an assisted living facility for disabled people in the town of Sinzig who were surprised by a sudden rush of water from the nearby Ahr River, authorities said. In neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia state, the number of dead stood at 43, but officials warned that it could increase. In one flooded German town, the ground collapsed under family homes. In another, floodwaters swept through an assisted living center, killing 12. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was „stunned“ by the devastation and pledged support to the families of those killed and to cities and towns facing significant damage. „In the hour of need, our country stands together,“ Steinmeier said in a statement. „It’s important that we show solidarity for those from whom the flood has taken everything.“ A harrowing rescue effort unfolded in the German town of Erftstadt, southwest of Cologne, where people were trapped when the ground gave way and their homes collapsed. Fifty people were rescued from their houses, county administrator Frank Rock told German broadcaster n-tv. Aerial photos showed what appeared to be a massive landslide at a gravel pit on the town’s edge.
