At least 153 dead and 1,000 missing in devastating floods that hit Germany and Belgium

16 July 2021, 07:20 | Updated: 17 July 2021, 07:12

Death toll in European floods passes 100 as scramble to find survivors continues

At least 153 people have died and more than 1,000 are unaccounted for after devastating flooding hit Germany and Belgium.

In Germany, at least 133 people have died and hundreds more are unaccounted for, while Belgium has also reported at least 20 dead after the extreme weather.

The number of people who have been forced to flee their homes is understood to run into the thousands.

Torrential rainfall began overnight on Wednesday, causing rivers to burst their banks and sweep houses off their foundations.

LBC's Europe Correspondent Lucy Hough reports that rescue efforts "are far from over", with more bad weather forecast through the weekend.

Speaking at the White House during her final trip to Washington as German chancellor Angela Merkel described the flooding as "a catastrophe" and said she feared "the full extent of this tragedy will only be seen in the coming days".

"My thoughts at this time are with those back home, from here I want to send them a sign of condolence and solidarity. I hope my messages reach my European colleagues, who can show solidarity with Germany and offer their help," she told reporters.

"Hundreds of thousands of people all of a sudden were faced with catastrophe, their houses were literally death traps, small rivers turned into flooded, devastating rivers.

"My empathy and my heart goes 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 and I include Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands who have also suffered from flooding."

The German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia were worst affected, but Belgium and the Netherlands were also badly hit.

The Associated Press said 60 people are reported dead in Rhineland-Palatinate, including 12 residents in an assisted living facility for people with disabilities in Sinzig, and and 43 people have died in North Rhine-Westphalia.

Across the devastated areas, more than 1,000 people are thought to be missing but the figure may be inflated by multiple missing persons reports being filed for the same individuals.

In the hard-hit town of Schuld people were forced to climb onto the roofs of their houses to await rescue, with rescue efforts still ongoing across Germany.

In Germany, 300 soldiers have been drafted in to help the efforts, with tanks used to clear roads strewn with debris and rubble.

Relief workers have also been pumping water out of the Steinbach dam, amidst concerns it could collapse.

Power and communication lines have been destroyed by the flooding, hampering the efforts of emergency services and leaving thousands worried about their loved ones.

Andreas Mueller was forced to wait hours to know if his in-laws were safe after several homes collapsed in the German village of Schuld.

"Overnight they were upstairs and it was dark because there was no light, no power, and there was also no phone connection. So we tried to reach them all night and it was very hard," he explained.

Rising water fills area as Germany endures major flooding

In Belgium, at least 20 deaths have been reported and another 20 people remain missing.

Tragically three fire-fighters are missing in the western Belgian city of Liege after a rescue boat overturned during an evacuation effort.

There has also been further flooding in Luxembourg and Switzerland.

The normally picturesque Lake Lucerne in Switzerland is close to bursting its banks.