Casualties and Dozens Missing in Floods in Germany and Belgium

At least 21 people have died, and many remain missing in Germany and Belgium after heavy floods turned streams and streets into lakes, swept away cars, and caused some buildings to collapse. The police in the western city of Koblenz tweeted on Thursday that about 50 people are trapped on their rooftops waiting for rescue. Six houses collapsed overnight in the village of Schuld, and the police reported that several people are missing. The village of Schuld is located in the Eifel region, a volcanic area of hills and small valleys southwest of Cologne. The full extent of the damage in the area remains unclear as many villages are isolated due to floodwaters and landslides that have rendered roads impassable. Videos shared on social media showed cars floating in the streets and partially collapsed houses in some areas. Authorities declared a state of emergency in the region following days of heavy rainfall. Extensive areas of western and central Germany and neighboring countries experienced heavy rain, leading to widespread damage. Authorities in the Rhein-Sieg district south of Cologne ordered the evacuation of several villages below the Steinbachtal reservoir amid fears that the dam there might also collapse. Train services were suspended on major rail lines in large parts of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany's most populous state. Governor Armin Laschet, who is campaigning in the upcoming German elections this fall to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor, was expected to visit the flood-hit city of Hagen later on Thursday. The German weather service DWD predicted that rainfall would decrease on Thursday. Continued overnight rain exacerbated flood conditions in eastern Belgium, where one person was reported drowned and at least one other was missing. Some cities experienced unprecedented water levels, turning their centers into flowing rivers. Major highways were flooded, and in the south and east of the country, the rail service reported a complete halt to train operations, adding that alternative transport was "extremely unlikely." Dutch media reported that authorities in the town of Valkenburg in southern Holland, near the German and Belgian borders, evacuated a nursing home and an elderly care facility overnight amid flooding that turned the main street in the tourist town into a river. The Dutch government sent about 70 soldiers to the Limburg province in the south late Wednesday to assist with tasks including transporting evacuees and filling sandbags, as rivers overflowed. No injuries related to the floods were reported in the Netherlands. Additionally, unusually heavy rainfall has flooded a wide area of northeastern France this week, causing tree falls and the closure of dozens of roads. A train route to Luxembourg was disrupted, and firefighters evacuated dozens from their homes near the Luxembourg and German borders and in the Marne region, according to local broadcaster France Bleu. The French national weather service stated that rainfall equivalent to two months of water fell in some areas over the past day or on Monday. As the ground becomes saturated, the weather agency expects more rain, issuing flood warnings for 10 regions.