Flood disaster in North Rhine-Westphalia: “Monumental failure” of the Laschet government? - The committee is questioning witnesses

The flood disaster in North Rhine-Westphalia is to be dealt with with a committee of inquiry.

The SPD accuses the CDU of a “blocking attitude”.

The news ticker.

• A committee of inquiry is to interrogate witnesses of the flood disaster in North Rhine-Westphalia

  (first report from November 26th, 13:05)

  .

• In the meantime, the SPD has accused the CDU state government of blocking the investigation of the misfortune.

• This news ticker is continuously updated.

Flood disaster in North Rhine-Westphalia: Investigative committee will interrogate experts - “monumental” system failure

First report from November 26th, 1:05 p.m.:

Around four months have passed since the devastating flood disaster in North Rhine-Westphalia in mid-July.

The flood killed 49 people.

The major damage can still be seen today.

The weather expert Jörg Kachelmann is now

to be heard

on Friday

as one of the first witnesses in the investigation committee into the flood in North Rhine-Westphalia, the

learned

.

Kachelmann had warned in a tweet on July 13th at noon that “it might be time to gradually prepare people for a flood scenario, both officially and in the media”.

The first floods occurred the following night.

On Friday, the committee is to meet from around 2 p.m. and for the first time publicly interrogate witnesses.

In addition to Kachelmann, the British hydrology professor Hannah Cloke is invited for the day.

She had contributed to the development of the European flood warning system EFAS and accused the authorities of a "monumental" system failure after the flood disaster.

Even if forest fires on other continents that are less climate crisis-induced are unfortunately much more exciting.

It may be time to gradually prepare people for a flood scenario, both officially and in the media.

During the day we know more https://t.co/AJ6Ix4aDaG

- Jörg (@Kachelmann) July 12, 2021

In addition, according to the will of the SPD * parliamentary group, the head of the state chancellery, Nathanael Liminski (CDU *), should appear in front of the committee on Friday.

Not because of the flood itself - but because the handover of the necessary files to the committee is slow, in the opinion of the opposition.

The committee is to investigate possible omissions, omissions or incorrect assessments of the NRW state government and subordinate authorities in connection with the flood.

In the spring of 2022, a public report on the findings available up to that point is to be submitted to the state parliament.

In May 2022 there are state elections in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Flood disaster: SPD allegations against CDU state government in North Rhine-Westphalia - "blockade attitude"

In the run-up to the first public hearing of witnesses in the flood investigation committee, the SPD accuses the state government of blocking the situation. The committee members have still not received the complete files, "although everyone knows how high the interest in clarification is," says SPD parliamentary group leader Thomas Kutschaty of the daily newspaper

.

The state government, according to Kutschaty, is working just as slowly in clearing up the disaster as it has been helping to prevent this disaster - "that is, as good as not at all".

That raises questions as to whether and what there is to be hidden, said the opposition leader.

Just respect for the victims of the disaster actually dictated that the state government should do everything to clear up this matter quickly.