European “catastrophe” floods take lives, livelihoods and devastate futures

Parts of Europe are being belted by torrential rainfall that has triggered severe floods

Western Germany and neighboring Belgium are drowning in floodwaters, with 60 so far dead and more than 70 reported missing.

The full extent of the damage across the region is still unclear after many villages remain cut off by floodwater and landslides that have made roads impassable.

Many of the dead were discovered after floodwaters began to recede again

Belgium has reported nine deaths to the weather disaster so far.

The dead included at least 30 in North Rhine-Westphalia state and 28 in Rhineland-Palatinate state to the south.

Among the worst-hit German villages was Schuld, in the Rhineland-Palatinate district of Ahrweiler, where several homes have collapsed, and debris scattering throughout the community.

Extensive damage to homes and businesses

According to authorities, dozens more people were trapped on the roofs of their houses awaiting rescue. Authorities used inflatable boats and helicopters, and the German army deployed 200 soldiers to assist in the rescue operations.

Rescue crews continue to be hampered with calls for help, despite phone and internet connections being down in parts of the region.

Chancellor Merkel pledged everything would be done to find those still missing

Around 10 houses have so far collapsed in the town of Pepinster after the local river flooded the eastern Belgian town and residents were evacuated from more than 1,000 properties.

In Belgium, among the nine fatalities were two men who died due to the torrential rain. A 15-year-old girl is missing after being swept away by a swollen river.

“Unprecedented” weather that nobody expected

Weather experts said that rains in the region over the past 24 hours had been unprecedented.

Germany’s Greens political party has blamed the floods on global warming, with its parliamentary leader Katrin Goering-Eckardt telling a local media organisation that “this is already the impact of the climate catastrophe”