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Bundeswehr vehicles arrive in Altenahr to support the rescue services
Photo: Thomas Frey / dpa
The clean-up and salvage work after the flood disaster in western Germany will continue on Friday.
Dozens of people are still missing after hours of heavy rain turned small rivers in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate into torrential masses of water.
The neighboring European countries are also affected.
There are extensive commitments for rapid aid from German federal and state politics.
The economic damage cannot be foreseen at all.
The overview:
Fatalities and missing persons:
At least
59 people were killed
. The Interior Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate, Roger Lewentz (SPD), assumed almost
30 deaths
from the natural disaster in the state
on Thursday evening
. Further victims are
to be feared in
view of around
40 to 60 people still missing
, he said on SWR television.
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the interior ministry there spoke of
30 dead and 57 injured
on Thursday evening
.
The numbers from the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler district are particularly drastic.
Around
1,300 people are missing there
, as the district administration announced in the evening.
A spokeswoman pointed out, however, that many people could not be reached because of the paralyzed cellular network.
"We hope this clears up," she said to the large number.
The rescue work:
In North Rhine-Westphalia, the
Rurtalsperre overflowed
shortly before midnight
. This happened "with little dynamism," as the Eifel-Rur Water Association (WVER) announced. Nevertheless, floods as well as flooding of houses and cellars are to be expected in the lower reaches of the Rur. The water association warned that people should not be near the river, as there is a risk of being carried away. Also, basements that are full should not be entered because there is a risk of electric shocks.
Evacuations
can also be expected in
areas particularly affected by flooding
.
The rescue workers meanwhile continue the search for missing persons. The Bundeswehr has now sent around
900 soldiers
to the disaster areas in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate to provide support. In the severely affected district of Euskirchen in North Rhine-Westphalia, an expert is to take another close look at the Steinbach dam on Friday. The water level had dropped on Thursday evening due to pumping. The process water dam, the dam of which has deep furrows, had been classified by an expert as "very unstable" the day before. Because of this, several villages were evacuated for safety reasons. Around 4,500 residents were affected. According to the Federal Ministry of the Interior, a total of around
15,000 rescue workers
were recently
deployed.
The Federal Office for Civil Protection and Disaster Aid (BBK) also supports the affected regions in Germany with
satellite images,
among other things
.
“The first satellite images from the areas affected by the storm have been recorded this morning.
These images will be made available to those involved in crisis management as soon as they are available, «said Vice President Thomas Herzog of the editorial network Germany.
The BBK also takes care of the coordination of aid, for example helicopters to rescue people or tapping points for the delivery of drinking water.
The damages:
The economic damage caused by the storm could not yet be quantified.
Since a whole series of
roads and bridges and also railway lines were
affected, and numerous houses and craft businesses were destroyed, the economic effects are likely to be massive.
The state of Rhineland-Palatinate provided 50 million euros as short-term support to repair damage to roads, bridges and other structures.
The political reaction:
The North Rhine-Westphalian cabinet will hold a special session on Friday (10:00 a.m.) on the situation and help for the affected communities. Prime Minister Armin Laschet (CDU) said on Thursday evening on ZDF that ways must be found to get roads, bridges and other infrastructure going again very quickly. The country will help, but "a great national effort is also necessary so that the worst things can be eliminated quickly."
The Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD) wants to find out more about the situation in her home town on Friday morning (8.30 a.m.) in Trier. Because of the strong flood in the Moselle tributary Kyll, thousands of people in Trier and the surrounding area were brought to safety on Thursday, and a hospital had to be evacuated. At all authorities in Rhineland-Palatinate, the flags will be raised to half-mast on Friday.
According to Agriculture Minister Julia Klöckner (CDU), the federal government is also planning an
aid program
. During her visit to the USA, Chancellor Merkel assured those affected: "We will not leave them alone in this difficult, terrible hour and will also help when it comes to reconstruction." inform about the situation in the flood areas. She assured the victims of quick help.
Green leader Robert Habeck spoke out in favor of setting up an aid fund.
"I would think it would be right if we now set up an
aid fund
very quickly
, as was the case in 2013 after the great Elbe flood," he told the "Welt".
"We have to help people in such an emergency situation quickly and unbureaucratically, and part of the money for it has to come from the federal budget." feared, would need clarity quickly.
Clean-up and reconstruction can only be achieved with great solidarity.
The situation in the neighboring countries:
Germany's neighboring states are also struggling with floods.
In Switzerland, river levels rose sharply after heavy rainfall.
According to the Keystone-sda news agency, swollen streams flooded the villages of Schleitheim and Beggingen in the canton of Schaffhausen.
Masses of water flowed through streets and into cellars, dragging vehicles away and destroying smaller bridges.
In Belgium, people from some communities were brought to safety along the Meuse as a preventive measure, as reported by the Belga news agency.
jok / dpa