Dozens died and others were missing in Germany and Belgium due to heavy rains and floods, and other European countries suffered great losses as a result of this unusual climatic condition at the height of the summer.

At least 20 people died and dozens were missing due to severe floods and heavy rains that swept the states of "Rhineland" and "North Rhine-Westphalia" (western Germany), and "Rhineland" police added that about 50 people are still missing, and the torrential rains caused the collapse of 6 homes, while 25 homes are still at risk of destruction in one of the state's counties.

"We usually only see this situation in winter," Bernd Millig, an environmental official in the state of North Rhine, was quoted by German website Deutsche Welle as saying.

Rescuers are trying to evacuate the afflicted who have taken refuge on the roofs of their homes, but the closure of many roads complicates rescue operations. Heavy rains have raised the level of rivers, uprooted trees, and flooded homes and roads.

devastating disaster

"We have never seen a disaster of this magnitude before, it is really devastating," said Rhineland state premier Palatinate Malu Dreyer. Armin Laschet, prime minister of North Rhine-Westphalia and the candidate to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel, canceled a party meeting in Bavaria to monitor the situation in his state. It is the most populous in Germany.

Floods inundated many cities and uprooted trees in the regions of southern and northern Belgium (European)

German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer told the German newspaper "Bild" that "a tragedy of its magnitude is far from expected."

"These extreme climatic conditions are the consequences of climate change," he added, adding that Germany should "be more prepared" for it.

In Belgium, the German news agency reported that at least 4 people died in the floods that inundated several cities, and local media said that the heavy rains caused widespread destruction of property.

Video clips circulated by activists on social media showed the extent of the damage that affected dozens of neighborhoods in the cities of Wallonia (south) and Limburg (north), with continued rain.

Unprecedented

The Belgian news agency "Belga", quoting the authorities, reported that the growing flood crisis in the country resulted in the evacuation of about 3,000 people.

Belgian Prime Minister Alexandre de Croo said in a tweet that his country was "facing unprecedented rain," adding that all rescue services were being mobilized.

The floods also affected other European countries. In the Netherlands, many homes were damaged in the Limburg region (southern of the country), which borders Germany and Belgium. Several nursing homes were evacuated, and the rising waters threatened to isolate the small town of Valkenburg in the west of Maastricht.

France provided a helicopter and a team of rescuers to participate in relief operations in the Belgian region of Liege, and Italy and Austria said they were ready to cooperate within the framework of the European Civil Protection Mechanism.