Among the worst-hit German villages was Schuld, where several homes collapsed and dozens of people remained unaccounted for.
Rescue operations were hampered by blocked roads and phone and internet outages across the Eifel, a volcanic region of rolling hills and small valleys. Some villages were reduced to rubble as old brick and timber houses couldn’t withstand the sudden rush of water, often carrying trees and other debris as it gushed through narrow streets.
Karl-Heinz Grimm, who had come to help his parents in Schuld, said he had never seen the small Ahr River surge in such a deadly torrent.
“I fear the full extent of this tragedy will only be seen in the coming days, she said. Biden likewise paid his condolences for the devastating loss of life and the destruction due to the flooding. “Our hearts go out to the families who’ve lost loved ones,” he said. Authorities said at least 30 people died in North Rhine-Westphalia state and 28 in neighbouring Rhineland-Palatinate to the south. Belgian media reported eight deaths in that country.
Harald Tittel/AP
People look at the destruction caused by the flooding of the Ahr River in the Eifel village of Schuld, western Germany. Recent storms across parts of western Europe made rivers and reservoirs burst their banks, triggering flash floods overnight after the saturated soil couldn’t absorb any more water.
By FRANK JORDANS | Associated Press Jul 15, 2021
5 hrs ago
BERLIN (AP) â More than 60 people have died and dozens were missing Thursday as severe flooding in Germany and Belgium turned streams and streets into raging torrents that swept away cars and caused houses to collapse.
Recent storms across parts of western Europe made rivers and reservoirs burst their banks, triggering flash floods overnight after the saturated soil couldn t absorb any more water. I grieve for those who have lost their lives in this disaster, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a visit to Washington, expressing shock at the scope of the flooding. We still don t know the number. But it will be many.
More than 60 dead and dozens missing as heavy floods hit Germany and Belgium
Low pressure system brings storms and flash flooding to Germany and Belgium, sweeping away homes and threatening dams
Updated
Floodwaters gush through the city of Hagen, south of Dortmund in the west of Germany (Image: Roberto Pfeil/DPA/AP)
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Over 50 dead, dozens missing as severe floods strike Europe
Posted : 2021-07-16 09:09
Updated : 2021-07-16 16:07
A rescue worker walks in floodwaters as they run down a main street in Pepinster, Belgium, July 15. AP-Yonhap
More than 50 people have died and dozens were missing Thursday as heavy flooding in Germany and Belgium turned streams and streets into raging torrents that swept away cars and caused houses to collapse.
Recent storms across parts of western Europe made rivers and reservoirs burst their banks, triggering flash floods overnight after the saturated soil couldn t absorb any more water. I grieve for those who have lost their lives in this disaster, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said during a visit to Washington, expressing shock at the scope of the flooding. We still don t know the number. But it will be many.