Skip to main content

Record rainfall leaves over 120 dead in western Europe, devastating parts of Germany

 


Catastrophic flooding in western Europe has killed more than 120 people, with hundreds more missing, authorities said Friday, as large-scale rescue efforts continue amidst rising water, landslides, and power outages.

Shocking images of the devastation in Germany and Belgium showed entire villages underwater, with cars wedged in between collapsed buildings and debris. The Netherlands and Luxembourg have also been affected by extreme rainfall.
In Germany, at least 105 people have been killed across two western states. In the hard-hit district of Ahrweiler, in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, authorities told CNN that 1,300 people remained unaccounted for.
"There is no end in sight just yet," Ulrich Sopart, a police spokesman in the city of Koblenz, told CNN. He said that authorities are hopeful that they will be able to revise down the number of missing people as the rescue operation continues and phone lines are restored.
    ''Our hopes are that some people might have been registered as missing twice or even three times -- if for example a family member, a work colleague or a friend has registered a person as missing," Sopart said.
    ''Also, [in] some places phone lines are still down and reception is difficult. We do hope that people will get in touch with a relative, work colleague or friend to let them know they are fine," he said.
    At least 165,000 people are currently without power in Rhineland-Palatinate and the neighboring state of North Rhine-Westphalia, authorities told CNN.
    In North Rhine-Westphalia, where at least 43 people have died, the state's Interior Ministry spokeswoman Katja Heins told CNN: ''The situation remains very dynamic -- we do not know how many people are unaccounted for."
    The death toll in Rhineland-Palatinate has risen to at least 62, according to police, who said on Friday that at least 362 people have been injured. The state premier, Malu Dreyer said on Friday that every hour brought bad news. "It is to be feared that the number will rise even further, '' Dreyer said at a news conference, adding: ''We have not yet reached the stage where we can say that situation is easing."
    As rescue efforts continued on Friday, more tragic scenes came to light.
    At least nine people at a disabled care facility drowned after being caught in floodwaters. The facility, located in the town of Sinzig, in the Ahrweiler district, became so quickly inundated that the residents -- who had been sleeping -- were unable to escape, despite efforts by caretakers to bring them to safety, according to CNN affiliate NTV.
    Source:cnn.com

    Comments

    Post a Comment

    Popular posts from this blog

    Invest your profits back into farming - COCOBOD boss to Cocoa Farmers

    Joseph Boahen Aidoo is Chief Executive Officer of COCOBOD The Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Cocoa Board (COCOBOD), Joseph Boahen Aidoo, has charged cocoa farmers to be business minded in operating their farms and to partake fully in the various programmes introduced by COCOBOD to ensure good farm yields and to increase profits. "Good farming practices, like pruning, the timely application of fertilizers and proper pests control are essential at all times," he said. Joseph Boahen Aidoo stated this while interacting with farmers in the Ashanti and Brong Ahafo Regions, on the first day of his week-long tour of cocoa farms across the county. He was accompanied by the Deputy Chief Executive of Operations at COCOBOD, Dr Emmanuel Opoku, as well, as Directors and Research Scientists from COCOBOD. The tour is aimed at assessing the level of farmer participation in the various farm productivity improvement programmes implemented by COCOBOD; it is also...
    Post a Comment
    Read more

    Dogboe takes time off boxing

    Isaac Dogboe Isaac Dogboe's journey in the pugilistic sport is far from over, even though he is to take a lengthy break. The 24-year-old will remain in the sport but will take time off and resume his university education, he has exclusively confirmed to Joy Sports. The former world champion gained admission to the Penster University last year but had deferred studies due to the demands of his boxing career. This decision to return to school comes after a one-on-one meeting with his father, Paul, who led his corner on the night of his humiliating loss to WBO super bantamweight champion, Emmanuel Navarette. "I am good and glad I was not injured. It's rather unfortunate I couldn't win the bout and I guess sometimes these things happen. I am grateful to all for the massive support for this bout,” he told Joy Sports in Arizona. He mentions that he will take time off to get himself back into school, and re-strategize to make a return to the ...
    Post a Comment
    Read more

    Atwima Nwabiagya North NPP:Assibey warned over premature campaign

    A group in the ruling party calling itself G rass   root campaigners of NPP  in the  A twima  N wabiagya  N orth  Constituenc y has drawn the  attention  of the National, Regional and Constituency executives  to warn  the 2012 independent Parliamentary candidate  Lawyer Di cks on Osei Assibey to desist from campaigning and declaring his intentions to be the parliamentary candidate of Atwima Nwabiagya North Constituency in 2024  on the ticket of the NPP . According to the group, Lawyer Dickson Osei Assibey    on Saturday 1 st   May , 2021   me t  more than 85 Polling station executives and party faithfuls  to lunch his bid to contest for parliamentary primaries in 2023. This  was organized by the two Electoral Area coordinators in the area . In a letter signed by the President of the Grass root Campaigners Marfo Kwabena Sakyi , it said  campaigning for parliamentary candidate position can ...
    Post a Comment
    Read more