- Title: President Steinmeier and CDU Chief Laschet visit flood-hit Erftstadt
- Date: 17th July 2021
- Summary: ERFTSTADT, GERMANY (JULY 17, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF GERMAN PRESIDENT FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, PREMIER OF NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA AND CDU CHIEF, ARMIN LASCHET, DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR FOR RHEIN-ERFT COUNTRY, FRANK ROCK, AND MAYOR ERFTSTADT, CAROLIN WEITZEL, WALKING VARIOUS OF STEINMEIER TALKING TO VOLUNTEERS, WITH LASCHET, ROCK AND WEITZEL STEINMEIER WALKING TO MICROPHONES VOLUNTEERS LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN PRESIDENT FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "We mourn with those that have lost friends, acquaintances, family members. Their fate is ripping our hearts apart." FIRE-ENGINES DRIVING BY AND FIRE-FIGHTERS STANDING AND LISTENING (SOUNDBITE) (German) GERMAN PRESIDENT FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, SAYING: "This is a time of hardship. And in hardship we stand together. I am glad for the signals of commiseration, of compassion, of solidarity not just from the region but from all over Germany." STEINMEIER LEAVING LASCHET WALKING TO MICROPHONES WIDE LASCHET SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) PREMIER OF NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA AND CDU CHIEF, ARMIN LASCHET, SAYING: "It is very impressive for me to see that our country is able to act quickly and in solidarity in such a crisis. Hundreds are willing to drop everything and help on the ground. So I want to thank all those volunteers. Germany will do everything possible over the next couple of days to organized the finances necessary." LASCHET SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) MAYOR ERFTSTADT, CAROLIN WEITZEL, SAYING: "I wish lots of strength to all people affected, and that is some 6,000 in a city of 50,000 residents, from the bottom of my heart I wish them strength in the next couple of weeks and months in the rebuilding of their homes and in trying to return to their lives." LASCHET SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) PREMIER OF NORTH RHINE-WESTPHALIA AND CDU CHIEF, ARMIN LASCHET, SAYING: "We must take climate change seriously. We have approved a climate law of the Federal state. In this region we are phasing-out coal production 10 years earlier that the red-green (coalition SPD and Greens) government before mine. It coal industry was very significant for this region and jobs in the region. But we think it is necessary because climate change is a big challenge for all of us." LASCHET SPEAKING STEINMEIER AND LASCHET LEAVING
- Embargoed: 31st July 2021 13:33
- Keywords: Flood Flut Hochwasser Klima Laschet Steinmeier Ueberschwemmung climate weather
- Location: ERFTSTADT, GERMANY
- City: ERFTSTADT, GERMANY
- Country: Germany
- Topics: Disaster/Accidents,Europe,Floods
- Reuters ID: LVA001EM89T8N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Rescue workers searched flood-ravaged parts of Germany and Belgium for survivors on Saturday after burst rivers and flash floods this week collapsed houses and claimed at least 157 lives.
"We mourn with those that have lost friends, acquaintances, family members," German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier said during a visit to Erftstadt in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where the disaster killed at least 43 people.
"Their fate is ripping our hearts apart."
Some 133 people have died in the flooding in western Germany, the country's worst natural disaster in more than half a century. That included about 90 in the Ahrweiler district south of Cologne, according to police. Hundreds of people are still missing.
Around 700 residents were evacuated late on Friday after a dam broke in the town of Wassenberg near Cologne, authorities said.
The Steinbachtal dam in western Germany, however, remained at risk of breaching, authorities said after some 4,500 people were evacuated from homes downstream.
Steinmeier called the flooding a tragedy and said it would take weeks before the full damage, expected to require several billions of euros in reconstruction funds, could be assessed.
Armin Laschet, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia and the ruling CDU party's candidate in September's general election, said he would speak to Finance Minister Olaf Scholz in the coming days about financial support.
Tens of thousands of residents in the region have been evacuated in the past two days, while soldiers, fire brigades and volunteers worked frantically throughout Friday night to enforce dams and dykes to prevent further flooding.
(production: Petra Wischgoll, Leon Kugeler, Ute Swart) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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