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Aerials of flooded village in western Germany
More than 40 people have died and dozens more are missing after heavy flooding in Germany and Belgium, officials have confirmed.
Record rainfall meant rivers and streams burst their banks, causing buildings to collapse and cars to be swept away.
Most of the fatalities occurred in Germany, with the worst-affected states being North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.
Officials confirmed that 18 people had died in the German county of Ahrweiler, while 70 people are still missing after houses collapsed in the village of Schuld, south-west of Cologne.
Flood warnings were issued overnight and hundreds of people were evacuated. One 63-year-old local man, who fled Ahrweiler, said: “I’ve never experienced a catastrophe where the river burst its banks in such a short space of time.”
Malu Dreyer, the leader of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, described the flooding in similar terms. “It’s a catastrophe. There are dead, missing and many people still in danger. All of our emergency services are in action round the clock and risking their own lives,” she said.
There have also been devastating floods in Belgiu,m, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.
Some Belgian municipalities left with drinkable tap water due to floods
Several municipalities in the Belgian region of Wallonia have been left without drinkable tap water as a result of flooding.
In a statement, the Société Wallonne des Eaux (SWDE) said: “This phenomenon is on a totally unusual scale, as floods cause torrents of water to rush into certain water catchments and alter the quality of the raw water.â€
“We recommend that it be used only for sanitary purposes, such as flushing the toilet, and for personal hygiene if the water is slightly turbid,†the company added.
The problem will not be fixed for at least two days, the SWDE said.
Rory Sullivan15 July 2021 17:05
Merkel calls flooding a ‘disaster’
The severe flooding in Germany is a “disasterâ€, Angela Merkel has said.
On a visit to Washington, the German chancellor said “heavy rain and flooding doesn’t capture what happenedâ€.
“I grieve for those who have lost their lives in this disaster. We still don’t know the number. But it will be many,†she added.
Ms Merkel also said that Germany would do all it can at the “federal, regional and communal levels†to save lives.
Rory Sullivan15 July 2021 16:43
Video: Flooding in Belgium
Here is a video showing the extent of today’s flooding in Pepinster, Belgium:
Rory Sullivan15 July 2021 16:23
Greta Thunberg responds to deadly floods
Environmental activist Greta Thunberg has tweeted that the extreme weather events seen in recent weeks are not “the new normal†– they are just the start of the climate emergency.
The 18-year-old said fatal weather events, such as the flooding in Europe this week, “will only become more and more frequentâ€.
Rory Sullivan15 July 2021 16:03
France issues flood alerts
France has issued flood alerts for four departments in the east of the country, after some areas experienced two months of rain in just two days.
Orange – “be vigilant†– alerts are in place for Haute-Marne, Haute-Saône, Doubs and Jura, while seven other departments have warnings for rising water levels.
Rory Sullivan15 July 2021 15:42
People should evacuate Liège, says mayor
People should evacuate the Belgian city of Liège, as water levels are set to rise further, the acting mayor has said.
“The water level will rise by about one and a half metres. We are therefore asking those who can, to leave the city, especially those who live on the banks of the Meuse,†Christine Defraigne said.
Rory Sullivan15 July 2021 15:23
Pictures: Flooding in Belgium
Emergency workers wade through water in Ensival, Verviers, Belgium, on Thursday.
(EPA)
A car floats in the Meuse River after heavy flooding in Liege, Belgium on 15 July, 2021.
(AP)
Rory Sullivan15 July 2021 15:04
Belgium flooding: Death toll rises to six
Six people have been confirmed dead as a result of flooding in Belgium, the Brussels Times has reported.
Four bodies were discovered in Liège province on Thursday. This comes after a 22-year-old man drowned in Eupen and a 50-year-old man died in his cellar.
Rory Sullivan15 July 2021 14:54
Residents inspect flood damage in German village
Local residents inspect the damage in Schuld, Germany after the river Ahr burst its banks.
(EPA)
Rory Sullivan15 July 2021 14:30
Death toll in Belgium and Germany rises above 40
More than 40 people have died as a result of flooding in Belgium and Germany, officials have said.
A total of 18 people lost their lives in Ahrweiler county, south of Euskirchen, with 70 others still missing following house collapses in the village of Schuld.
Rory Sullivan15 July 2021 14:26
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