At least 42 dead as floods batter Europe

Germany is the worst hit among western European countries, along with Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands

MAYEN, GERMANY: Heavy rains and floods lashing western Europe have killed at least 42 people in Germany and left many more missing, as rising waters led several houses to collapse on Thursday.

Unusually heavy rains also inundated neighbouring Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Belgium, where at least four people were reported dead.

Rhineland-palatinate and North Rhine-westphalia states were the worst hit in Germany by the deluge, which has caused rivers to burst their banks and threatens to bring down more homes.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was “shocked” by the devastation and thanked the “tireless volunteers and emergency service workers” at the scene.

Belgium has also seen several days of extremely heavy rain that has caused rivers in the French-speaking region of Wallonia to burst their banks. Four were reported dead. The provinces of Liege and Namur were especially affected, with the resort town of Spa completely flooded.

The southern Dutch province of Limburg, which is bordered by Germany and Belgium, also reported widespread damage with rising waters threatening to cut off the small city of Valkenburg west of Maastricht.

Local news footage showed small rivers of water flowing through the scenic city centre’s streets and at least one old age home had been evacuated.

Officials closed off several roads including the busy A2 highway, while fears remained that water from heavy rains in Germany and Belgium would push up river levels as it reached the Netherlands.

Meanwhile, the Luxembourg government set up a crisis cell to respond to emergencies triggered as PM Xavier Bettel reported “several homes” had been flooded and were “no longer inhabitable”.