At least 48 dead and dozens missing in “catastrophic” floods in Germany and Belgium

These accidents are the result levels Record From the rains witnessed in Western Europe in recent days, which caused the flooding of some of the major rivers in the region.

The Netherlands was also severely affected. In the southern province of Limburg, a large number of homes were destroyed by water and many homes of elderly people had to be evacuated.

The governor of the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Malo Dreyer, described the flood as “Catastronomical“.

“There are dead and missing and a lot of people are still in danger,” he said. “All of our emergency services are working permanently, and she’s risking her life.”

Chancellor Angela Merkel, who is in the United States to meet President Joe Biden, said she was “shocked by the disaster.”

at least 19 people died In the Ahrweiler region of the Rhineland-Palatinate, after the Ahr, which flows into the Rhine, overflowed.

Police helicopters and hundreds of soldiers have been deployed in some areas to help the stranded residents. According to the police, dozens of people waited on their rooftops while they were rescued.

Schools were closed across the west of the country and transportation services were severely disrupted.

About 25 homes are at risk of collapsing in the Schuld-bei-Adenau region in the mountainous Eifel region, it has been announced. case of emergencyAccording to German radio SWR.

According to the same source, some homes have become completely isolated and can no longer be reached by boat.

Along the same lines, Eight deaths in the Euskirchen . regionIn North Rhine-Westphalia, at least four people died in the Eifel region when their homes were washed away.

Some locals told the news agency France Press agency They were shocked by the disaster.

“No one expected this, where did all this rain come from? It’s crazy,” said Annemarie Muller, 65, a Maine resident.

“There was a loud noise and because it was falling fast, we thought it would break the door.”

Local teacher Ortrud Meyer, 36, noted that “never seen something like that“.

“My father-in-law is about 80 years old, he’s from Maine and he says he’s never been before,” he said.

Two firefighters were also killed in the area on Wednesday.

One sank, while the other sank collapsed After the operation rescue.

Belgium was also hit by flash floods; An exciting video clip shared on social media shows cars being pulled along a street in Ververs.

The mayor of Liege, the third largest gathering in Belgium after Brussels and Antwerp, has urged all its residents to evacuate the city.

In the same vein, he asked those who could not leave it to move to the upper floors of their buildings.

The Meuse River running through the city is expected to rise another 150 cm, Although it’s about to overflow.

Local officials are also concerned that a bridge has collapsed in the area and are asking local residents to help each other.

“The The crisis situation is exceptional “Solidarity and solidarity must prevail,” the Liege municipal office said in a statement.

Meanwhile, in the Belgian town of Pepinster, 10 houses It collapsed after the Phisdri river overflowed.

Rail services in the southern half of Belgium have been suspended due to rain and floods.

Forecasts indicate that More heavy rain is expected In most parts of Western Europe on Thursday and Friday.

Experts say climate change is expected to increase the frequency of extreme weather events like this, but linking a single event to global warming is difficult.

However, Armin Laschet, Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, blame Global Warming What your area suffers from while visiting a highly affected area.

“We will face such events again and again, and this means that we need to speed up climate protection measures…because climate change is not limited to just one country,” he said.

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