Flood. Over 130 victims in Germany, 153 in Europe. Von der Leyen waiting in Belgium

• The climatologist: extreme events due to global warming

• Floods in Belgium, at least 6 victims.

  Holland deploys an army for relief efforts

• Rain and floods in Germany, dozens of deaths and missing in the west of the country

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July 17, 2021

The death toll is worsening from the bad weather that is devastating Germany, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Switzerland these days. The most affected country is Germany where the number of people who died due to floods has risen to 133. In total, there are 153 deaths in Europe, according to official German sources.

The Koblenz police said that "according to the latest available information 90 people have lost their lives" in the Rhineland-Palatinate region, one of the most affected. Added to these are the 43 victims in North Rhine-Westphalia and the 27 people who died in Belgium.

It is impossible, however, at the moment to determine the fate of the missing as the telephone lines have been blown in many of the affected areas. While many people would simply be isolated from the blackout, there are very concrete fears for the fate of a few dozen residents of the badly affected canton of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler in Rhineland-Palatinate. The Rhine village of Schuld, with a population of 700, was almost completely destroyed. The army has deployed over 850 soldiers, but their numbers will have increased, and the Ministry of Defense has activated "the military disaster alarm".

The Belgian Prime Minister, Alexander De Croo, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, will travel in the next few hours to Rochefort and Pepinster, two of the places most affected by the flood that caused the death of at least 27 people in the country . This was reported by the Belgian government. De Croo and Von der Leyen will meet with citizens, rescuers and representatives of local authorities. In the afternoon De Croo will then go to Eupen, in the German-speaking area of ​​Belgium, and to Maaseik, in the Flemish region. The weather situation, after the heavy rainfall recorded yesterday, has meanwhile begun to improve. The sky has begun to clear and the level of the streams is going down. "The situation remains critical - underlined the Belgian Prime Minister - We are all touched by what happened and Tuesday 20 July will be declared a day of national mourning. "De Croo then stressed that" the priority is to rescue people ".

"I fear we will see the full extent of this tragedy only in the next few days." Chancellor Angela Merkel from Washington said this. The government "will not leave you alone in this difficult and terrible time", he added, ensuring aid for relief and reconstruction. President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also said he was "shocked" by the devastation and promised that no one would be abandoned: "In an hour of need, our country is united", we will show "solidarity with those whose floods have taken everything away". The President is expected today in the

Rhein-Erft region in North Rhine Westphalia.

Belgium, death toll rises to 27. Italian firefighters save 40 people

A second body was found lifeless in Angleur, the provisional death toll in Belgium rises to at least 27 dead. This was reported by the television network RTBF, citing police sources.

Over 41,000 people without electricity in the south of the country. A curfew was imposed in the city of Verviers to avoid looting. Residents of Liège were urged to leave their homes or, if unable, to move upstairs. The conditions of a dam in the city of Maaseik, in the province of Limburg, where six municipalities have been evacuated, are worrying. The mayor, Johan Tollenaere, warned on Facebook that there is a "real risk" that the structure will collapse.

Bad weather in the Netherlands caused a dam rupture along the Juliana canal near Meerssen in the province of Limburg. This was reported by the NPC news agency, specifying that the water is pouring from a hole of about one meter, which, however, could become larger, according to a security spokesman for the South Limburg region, who invited the local population to "leave the area and seek a safe place to take refuge".

Thousands of people have had to abandon their homes in the south of the Netherlands, where a flood of the Meuse is feared. In particular, about 550 families have been evacuated to the Netherlands in the Dutch town of Roermond alone, in the province of Limburg. Two districts of Maastricht have also been evacuated in the last few hours. About 350 people are temporarily housed in the sports halls. King William Alexander and Queen Maxima visited the city of Valkenburg, in Limburg, which was hit by heavy floods.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has called an emergency government meeting before traveling to the province of Limburg. The Vie Curi hospital, located on the banks of the Meuse in Venlo, was completely evacuated in anticipation of possible floods. The approximately 140 patients are transferred to other hospitals in these hours, while those in the emergency room will be referred to other hospitals. Venlo hospital will be closed at least until Monday.

Aid to Belgium from Italy, France and Austria

"Belgium has requested the activation of the Civil Protection mechanism and on this request three countries have already offered support, France, Austria and Italy, with a rescue team" with "personnel and means including a helicopter". This was announced by Stefan de Keersmaecker, one of the spokesmen of the European Commission, specifying that other types of support from other member countries are being studied. "We are ready to help all affected countries", adds the European Commission itself on Twitter.

Over 150 rescuers from Italy, Austria and France are in Belgium to help the country's authorities. During the daily briefing with the press, De Keersmaecker specified that the three countries that responded to the appeal also made available boats and helicopters necessary for rescue operations in extreme conditions.