China News Service, July 19, reported that the European region was hit by floods. So far, the number of victims has risen to 188.
On the 18th local time, German Chancellor Merkel visited the disaster-stricken area in western Germany and talked with survivors and first responders.
She said that the disaster was “shocking”.
On July 16, local time, Erftstadt-Blessem, Germany, a street after flooding.
Floods have killed at least 188 people in Europe
Merkel visits the affected area
On the 18th local time, Merkel wore hiking boots and went to the village of Schulder in Rhein-Farts, Germany, the hardest-hit area for disaster investigation.
She said, "This is a surreal, weird situation...very shocking-I can hardly say that there is no word in German that can describe the damage caused by the flood."
She was investigating the damage and talking with residents and first responders in the severely affected village of Schulder.
She also promised to provide assistance as soon as possible to assist in local reconstruction.
Merkel also stated that the world must "respond to climate change faster."
German police said that since the 14th, the worst flooding in German people's memory has claimed the lives of at least 157 people.
In Rhine-Falz State alone, 110 people were killed and 670 injured.
In addition, at least 31 people died in the floods in Belgium, and Switzerland, Luxembourg and the Netherlands were also affected.
On July 15, local time, after a heavy rain in Kyllburg, Germany, the water level of a river soared.
Oil spill in flood-hit areas in Germany
The authorities provide emergency assistance to the victims
According to reports, German Deputy Chancellor and Minister of Finance Scholz said he would provide more than 300 million euros of emergency assistance to flood victims.
Scholz said that on the 21st, two topics will be submitted to the German government for discussion.
One of them is the issue of emergency assistance measures.
"This flood needs to provide (flood victims) with more than 300 million euros of emergency assistance. At present, it will only be more, not less."
The German Finance Minister stated that a reconstruction plan is needed to repair the destroyed houses, roads and bridges in the disaster area as soon as possible.
He said: "Judging from past disaster (reconstruction) experience, billions of euros are needed."
On the other hand, the authorities of the city of Cologne in North Rhine-Westphalia stated that there was an oil spill in the flooded western region of Germany.
Affected by the flooding, many businesses near the city of Hückswagen in North Rhine-Westphalia were flooded and oil and other materials leaked.
Currently, experts are collecting samples of air and water sources, and it is suspected that the contaminated water may have flowed into the local reservoir. Swimming, diving, fishing and boat trips in local reservoirs are now prohibited.