Europe floods leave at least 126 dead

SCHULD (Germany): The death toll from devastating floods in Europe soared to at least 126 yesterday, most in western Germany where emergency responders were frantically searching for missing people.

Adding to the devastation, several more were feared dead in a landslide in northern Germany yesterday triggered by floods.

Hundreds were unaccounted for in the country, while the death toll in Belgium jumped to 15 with more than 21,000 people left without electricity in one region.

Luxembourg and the Netherlands were also hammered by heavy rains, inundating many areas and forcing thousands to be evacuated in the city of Maastricht.

But Germany was the hardest hit, with unsuspecting residents caught completely off guard by the torrent dubbed the “flood of death” by Germany's top-selling daily Bild.

“I fear that we will only see the full extent of the disaster in the coming days,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said from Washington on Thursday, where she met with President Joe Biden.

Streets and houses were submerged by water in some areas, while cars were left overturned on soaked streets after floodwaters passed. Some districts were completely cut off from the outside world.

In Ahrweiler, several houses collapsed completely, drawing comparisons to the aftermath of a tsunami. At least 24 people were confirmed dead in Euskirchen, one of the worst-hit towns just to the north.

“My empathy and my heart go out to all of those who in this catastrophe lost their loved ones, or who are still worrying about the fate of people still missing,” Merkel said.