Dozens dead, perhaps more than 1,000 missing after floods in Germany

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At least 50 people were killed and more than 1,000 others were missing after floods inundated rivers in Germany, sweeping away cars and causing homes to collapse on Thursday, German authorities said.

The government in the Ahrweiler region, in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate, said up to 1,300 people were presumed missing.

Officials said at least 30 people have died in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia and 28 have died in the neighboring Rhineland-Palatinate region in the south, the Associated Press reported.

Storms caused deadly flooding in Belgium, with media reporting eight deaths. Luxembourg and the Netherlands were also hit by floods.

In Germany, torrential rains and storms trapped people on rooftops, and authorities used rubber boats and helicopters to identify and rescue residents. The German army deployed its soldiers to assist in the operation.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who was in Washington, D.C., on Thursday to meet President Joe Biden, said the situation was “marked by fear, despair and suffering.”

She said hundreds of thousands of people faced disaster, and homes became death traps.

“My sympathy and heart goes out to all those who have lost loved ones in this disaster or who are still concerned about the fate of missing persons,” she said.

Biden also expressed his condolences and condolences to the American people for those affected by the floods in Germany and other countries.

In Schuld, located in Ahrweiler, Edgar Gilsen said the devastation “was simply catastrophic”.

“All these people who live here I know all of. I feel very sorry for them. They have lost everything. All they had is what they had, everything is gone,” Gilsen, 65, told Reuters. “A friend had a workshop there, nothing standing. The bakery, the butcher – everything is gone. It’s scary. Unimaginable.”

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said her thoughts were with those affected by floods in Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands and that the EU was ready to help.

In Belgium, the river Vesdre smashed its banks and sent torrents of water flowing through the streets of Pepinster, near Liege, whose destructive force led to the destruction of some buildings.

The European Commission said France sent a helicopter and rescue team to Belgium to help local authorities, and Italy and Austria offered flood rescue teams.

Phil Hillsell is a reporter for NBC News.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed.

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