The flood disaster destroyed entire villages in North Rhine-Westphalia.
Prime Minister Armin Laschet promises quick help, but also speaks a bitter truth.
The news ticker.
Munich - In North Rhine-Westphalia, even days after the flood disaster * as a result of torrential rain, the full extent of the damage cannot be foreseen.
What is certain is that dozens have lost their lives, thousands their homes, many of them their livelihoods.
Aid workers are among the victims, and at least four firefighters died trying to help.
Politicians have already made promises of rapid aid packages.
Prime Minister Armin Laschet * announced a "quick national response".
He will discuss with local representatives "how we should design the financial aid to quickly rebuild our homeland".
At the same time, the Union Chancellor candidate * prepared the people in the affected areas for the long-term consequences: “We will feel the wounds of these days for a long time to come.
The reconstruction will take months, even years. "
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Deployment in the crisis area: NRW Prime Minister and Union Chancellor candidate Armin Laschet has an ear for the suffering of those affected.
© Oliver Berg / dpa
Flood in North Rhine-Westphalia: 650 police officers and thousands of fire brigade and THW personnel on duty
The cohesion is impressive, so countless volunteers lend a hand to push ahead with the clean-up work - where it is already possible.
650 police officers and 19,000 fire brigade and technical aid organizations (THW) are also deployed from the most populous federal state alone.
Unfortunately, the suffering of others also brings out the bad in some people.
According to Aachen, for example, “onlookers and disaster tourists” would make the work considerably more difficult.
The only thing they tackle is their cell phone to capture particularly spectacular photos or videos.
Access routes and rescue vehicles would also be blocked, disrupting helpers pumping water out of basements and picking up bulky items.
Video: Where to donate after the flood disaster
Floods in North Rhine-Westphalia: Three alleged looters are in custody
The behavior of looters who help themselves in houses that have been abandoned on the run is outrageous.
According to Laschet, three suspects are in custody after incidents in Eschweiler near Aachen.
"It makes me angry when I hear that right now people are returning to their devastated houses and discovering that looters have stolen what little they have left," emphasized the CDU chairman.
Meanwhile, the fate of many people is still uncertain.
For such cases there is a special personal information center in Cologne, to which various cases have already been reported.
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