Wednesday 27 / November / 2024
Berlin: More than 100 people have been reported dead across western Germany in floods while 55 people were rescued after houses collapsed south of Cologne. 850 Bundeswehr soldiers have been deployed to assist with disaster relief. The worst hit regions are in western Germany around the borders to the Benelux countries
North Rhine-Westphalia dam breaks, forcing hundreds to be evacuated
The floodwaters have caused a dam in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia to break, forcing residents in the city of Wassenberg to leave the area.
About 700 residents in the Ophoven neighborhood of Wassenberg are being evacuated by rescuers due to the dam failure. The dam lies along the Rur river.
The neighborhoods of Effeld and Steinkirchen, which have a combined total population of almost 1,600 people, could also be impacted by the dam failure. Residents of those neighborhoods have not yet been evacuated.
German President Steinmeier to visit affected regions Saturday
The office of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has announced he will visit the flooded regions of North Rhine-Westphalia on Saturday together with regional head Armin Laschet (CDU) who is in the running to replace Angela Merkel as chancellor in the fall.
