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Ahrbrück, Rhineland-Palatinate: Fire fighters erect a wooden barrier in the Ahr valley near Mayschoss
Photo:
Thomas Frey / dpa
This article is continuously updated.
Houses in the Eifel collapsed - several people were missing
6:52 a.m.:
In Rhineland-Palatinate, six houses apparently collapsed due to flooding.
In addition, 25 other houses are unstable and threatened to collapse.
A spokesman for the Koblenz police confirmed a corresponding report by the SWR to SPIEGEL.
The SWR also reported that 30 people were missing.
The police spokesman told SPIEGEL that the situation was currently confusing.
It is unclear exactly how many people are missing.
There is a storm in the entire district of Ahrweiler, the spokesman said.
About 50 people are in several places because of flooding on house roofs and need to be rescued.
The dam of the Steinbachtalsperre threatens to break - the A61 is completely closed
6:51 a.m.:
The dam of the Steinbachtalsperre in Euskirchen threatens to break due to the storm.
Therefore, the Autobahn 61 between Bliesheim and Meckenheim was completely blocked on Thursday, the police said.
The A61 had previously been closed because the motorway had been flooded by water.
The Technical Relief Organization (THW) and the police are on site to observe the dam.
Traffic will be diverted to the A565.
Two firefighters were killed in a storm
6.30 a.m.:
Heavy rain has caused floods and floods in many parts of North Rhine-Westphalia - two firefighters died during operations in the Märkischer Kreis.
In Altena in the Sauerland, a 46-year-old firefighter was killed while rescuing a man after the heavy rain.
A spokesman for the police in the Märkischer Kreis confirmed this on Wednesday.
Just two hours later, a 52-year-old firefighter collapsed while working in the area of the Werdohl-Elverlingsen power plant.
According to the police in the Märkisches Kreis, the 46-year-old fell into the water after a successful rescue while getting into the fire engine and was driven off.
A short time later they could only rescue him dead.
He drowned.
The 52-year-old firefighter died on Wednesday evening despite resuscitation and relief measures, the police said.
It had previously collapsed as part of a storm-related mission in the area of the power plant.
The police assume a health emergency.
ptz / dpa
