Flooding in western Germany has claimed the lives of six individuals and 30 were left missing, as well as causing the collapse of at least six houses.
Four people were killed and 30 went missing on Thursday in the wine-growing town of Ahrweiler, south of Bonn, when the Ahr river, which flows into the Rhine, broke its banks, causing the homes to collapse. Around 50 people were trapped on rooftops, and many more homes were in danger of collapsing.
“There are many places where fire brigades and rescue workers have been deployed. We don’t yet have a very precise picture because rescue measures are continuing,” a police spokesperson said.
According to authorities, two firemen died in the Sauerland area northeast of Bonn on Wednesday. After a rescue attempt, one person drowned and another fainted, according to the news agency DPA.
Rail and road transportation was hampered, and shipping on the Rhine, a vital economic route, was halted.
On Thursday and Friday, further heavy rain was forecast in southern Germany, in the higher reaches of the German Rhine, according to the German Weather Service.
