An examining magistrate was seized of an investigation for “
involuntary homicides
” after the floods of mid-July in Belgium, which left 38 dead according to a last official report, announced Wednesday July 28 the prosecutor of Liege.
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The federal police told AFP on Wednesday that the latest official provisional toll stood at 38 dead, contradicting the figure of 41 dead given the day before by the head of the government of Wallonia, Elio Di Rupo.
The investigating judge is responsible for identifying possible responsibilities for "
involuntary homicides by lack of foresight or precaution
", said the prosecutor's office in Liège in a press release.
This decision "
results from the desire to guarantee the serenity, objectivity and independence with which the search for the truth can be carried out, while respecting the memory of the victims and their relatives
", he added.
Suspected failures of the warning system
A start of controversy followed the disaster of July 14-15, in particular over alleged failures of the flood risk warning system.
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Victims complained that they did not have all the information, in particular about a saturated dam located in Eupen (east), whose gates were opened, without all residents having been evacuated preventively.
The floods which also affected western Germany killed 182 people in this country, according to a latest report.
