About 1,300 missing after floods in German region – NRK Urix – Foreign news and documentaries

A spokesman for the regional authorities said the fate of about 1,300 people had not been registered after heavy rain and flooding in the Bad Neuenaer-Arueller region in Germany.

Regional authorities wrote that about 3,500 people were accommodated in care institutions Twitter.

The region, with a population of 130,000, is located north of the Rhineland-Palatinate. The authorities in the county stated that the mobile phone network was down and therefore many people could not be obtained.

– We hope to clarify this, the official spokesperson said about the high number of missing persons.

Several deaths were also reported in Thursday night’s update, but the exact number has not been established.

In the Arweiler district, nine residents died in a dormitory with developmental disabilities. This was confirmed by a spokeswoman for the Ministry of the Interior on Thursday evening, writes Scientist.

Police warn

More than a thousand rescue workers, including firefighters, police and soldiers, were deployed to the rescue operation.

In the town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler alone, there were more than 1,000 rescue missions underway as of Thursday morning, according to the authorities.

Electricity and telephone communications were disrupted in many places on Thursday, making rescue work even more difficult.

In addition to tracing, there is also a strong focus on providing electricity, gas and water supplies. Power and phone connections failed in many places. Work is also underway to construct a drinking water facility.

Koblenz Police are warning people not to drive into flood-affected areas.

– Do not drive to the disaster area to search for relatives on your own or to pick up your belongings. The police say you are putting yourself in danger and possibly obstructing the rescue workers Twitter.

See also  Many dead and villages covered in ashes - VG

Death rates are on the rise

At least 59 people died in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate in one of the worst air disasters since World War II in Germany.

The soil is waterlogged, reservoirs are overflowing, and rivers are overflowing. In parts of the Rhineland-Palatinate, a state of emergency has been declared as a result of severe weather conditions

Unusually heavy rains also led to flooding in Luxembourg, the Netherlands and neighboring Belgium. Belgian media reported at least nine deaths, bringing the death toll to 68 so far, according to AFP.

Merkel: – He thinks of those he lost

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was visiting President Joe Biden in the United States, expressed her deep sympathies to those affected by the floods.

“My thoughts and thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones in this disaster, or who are concerned for those who are still missing,” Merkel said from the White House in Washington.

She added that the authorities are doing their best to help those in need.

– I am afraid that we will not see the scale of this disaster except in a few days, she said.

Merkel said earlier on Thursday that she was “Shocked” by the destruction and losses of human life after severe weather.

US President Joe Biden also expressed sympathy with Merkel during the visit.

With the American people, I would like to express our deepest sympathy for the lives lost, and for the devastation that has befallen Germany and neighboring countries over the past 24 hours. Biden said it was a tragedy.

In a telegram, Pope Francis also expressed his condolences to Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.