ERFTSTADT – The death toll in devastating flooding in western Germany and Belgium rose to at least 170 on Saturday after burst rivers and flash floods this week collapsed houses and ripped up roads and power lines.
Some 143 people died in the flooding in Germany’s worst natural disaster in more than half a century. That included about 98 in the Ahrweiler district south of Cologne, according to police.
Hundreds of people were still missing or unreachable as several areas were inaccessible due to high water levels while communication in some places was still down.
In Belgium, the death toll rose to 27, according to the national crisis center, which is coordinating the relief operation there.
It added that 103 people were “missing or unreachable.” Some were likely unreachable because they could not recharge mobile phones or were in hospital without identity papers.(Reuters)
