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Malu Dreyer, Prime Minister of Rhineland-Palatinate:
An absolute catastrophe is happening in Rhineland-Palatinate. The heavy rain of the past few days has led to a devastating flood with massive damage. It's a disaster. There is no other way of expressing it. There are dead, there are missing and many who are still in danger. All emergency services are on duty around the clock and risk their own lives. My condolences go to the victims of the flood disaster. I fear for the local people. We have never seen such a catastrophe. It is really devastating. This makes my respect all the greater for the emergency services, who really work and toil incessantly to secure help on site. And they also risk their own lives in many places. Nevertheless, I want to ask people to keep calm and, above all, to stay in their homes.We are really mobilizing everything to save them. Rescue workers from all parts of the country are on their way to the disaster area. (...) In the Verbandsgemeinde Anschau several houses have collapsed, entire villages are flooded, houses just float away. People need to be rescued from homes. Police helicopters are in action and other police helicopters are helping us from different regions of Germany. Above all, the Hessian colleagues are on site and I want to assure you that all emergency services are really on board. Of course, as always, the fire brigades work really well, also with each other, with one another, with support. The riot police are on their way, the Bundeswehr, of course the THW. Everything that is necessary in terms of heavy equipment is requested,no matter from where. And it has to be said that we get a lot of help from outside to get this situation under control.