Germany flood sinkhole10/10/2023 ![]() ![]() Thousands of people remained homeless in Germany after their houses were destroyed or deemed at-risk by authorities, including several villages around the Steinbach reservoir that experts say could collapse under the weight of the floods. Authorities in the southern Dutch town of Venlo evacuated some 200 hospital patients due to the looming threat of flooding from the river.įlash floods this week followed days of heavy rainfall in Western Europe which turned streams and streets into raging torrents that swept away cars and caused houses to collapse across the region. Water levels on the Meuse river that runs from Belgium into the Netherlands remains critical, and several dikes are at risk of collapsing, Verlinden said. The number of missing is estimated at 19. Belgian Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden told VRT network Friday that the country’s official confirmed death toll has grown to 18. “One has to assume that under the circumstances some people didn’t manage to escape,” he said.Īuthorities said late Thursday that about 1,300 people in Germany were listed as missing, but they cautioned that the high number could be due to duplicated reports and difficulties reaching people because of disrupted roads and phone service.Īfter Germany, where more than 100 people have died, Belgium was the hardest hit by the floods that caused homes to be ripped away and roads to be turned into wild rivers. Speaking to German broadcaster n-tv, Rock said that authorities had no precise number yet for how many had died. “We know of 15 people who still need to be rescued.” “We managed to get 50 people out of their houses last night,” county administrator Frank Rock said. Aerial photos showed what appeared to be a massive sinkhole. Regional authorities said several people had died after their houses collapsed when the ground beneath them sank suddenly. Rescuers rushed Friday to help people trapped in their homes in the town of Erftstadt, southwest of Cologne. “It’s important that we show solidarity for those from whom the flood has taken everything.” “In the hour of need, our country stands together,” Steinmeier said in a statement Friday afternoon. German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said he was “stunned” by the devastation caused by the flooding and pledged support to the families of those killed and to cities and towns facing significant damage. In neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia state officials put the death toll at 43, but warned that the figure could increase. (David Young/dpa via AP)īERLIN - More than 120 people have died in devastating floods across parts of western Germany and Belgium, officials said Friday, as search and rescue operations continued for hundreds more still unaccounted for or in danger.Īuthorities in the German state of Rhineland-Palatinate said 60 people had died there, including 12 residents of an assisted living facility for people with disabilities in the town of Sinzig who were surprised by a sudden rush of water from the nearby river Ahr. Multiple have died and dozens are missing as severe flooding in Germany and Belgium turned streams and streets into raging, debris-filled torrents that swept away cars and toppled houses. Heavy rains caused mudslides and flooding in the western part of Germany. Dozens were rescued from their homes and aerial photos showed what appeared to be a massive landslide at a gravel pit on the town’s edge.Debris of collapsed houses is pictured in the Blessem district of Erftstadt, Germany, Friday, July 16, 2021. In Erftstadt, near Cologne in Germany, people were trapped when the ground gave way and their homes collapsed. The German city of Hagen also suffered severe flooding. The Meuse broke its banks in the Belgian city of Liege, leaving some locals taking to boats. People trying to salvage their possessions waded through knee-deep mud. Several homes collapsed in the village of Schuld, and a bridge over the river was left strewn with debris. The Ahr river in western Germany, normally a minor tributary of the Rhine, caused some of the worst damage as rapidly rising floodwater smashed through its curving valley on Wednesday night. SCHULD, Germany (AP) - Torrential rain turned normally placid rivers into raging torrents in parts of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands this week, dragging cars and roads with them, bringing down whole houses and leaving more than 150 people dead.
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