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                                                                                         world news Dialuna 19 Juli 2021

                           Merkel tours 'surreal' flood scene, vows aid, climate action



                                                                                                   on  the  people  of  Schuld  —
                                                                                                   scars  that  you  don’t  forget,  “I  express  my  closeness  to
                                                                                                   that  can’t  be  overcome,  be-  the populations of Germany,
                                                                                                   cause our lives changed from  Belgium  and  Holland,  hit
                                                                                                   one day to the next,” Mayor  by catastrophic flooding,” he
                                                                                                   Helmut  Lussi  said,  breaking  said Sunday in his first public
                                                                                                   into sobs as he spoke.       appearance to the faithful in
                                                                                                                                St. Peter’s Square after major
                                                                                                   Although   the   rain   has  surgery. “May the Lord wel-
                                                                                                   stopped in the worst-affected  come the deceased and com-
                                                                                                   areas  of  Germany,  Belgium  fort the family members.”
                                                                                                   and the Netherlands, storms
                                                                                                   and  downpours  have  per-   In  the  eastern  Belgian  town
                                                                                                   sisted  elsewhere  in  western  of  Pepinster,  soldiers  and
                                                                                                   and  central  Europe.  There  firefighters   on   Sunday
                                                                                                   was  flooding  Saturday  night  searched  for  any  remaining
                                                                                                   in the German-Czech border  survivors  or  bodies,  accord-
                                                                                                   area,  in  Germany’s  south-  ing  to  public  broadcaster
                                                                                                   eastern  corner,  and  over  the  RTBF.  All  the  houses  still
                                                                                                   border in Austria.           standing have been searched,
                                                                                                                                so the effort focused on those
                                                                                                   About  130  people  were  that collapsed and in a valley
                                                                                                   evacuated   in   Germany’s  downstream for anyone pos-
                                                                                                   Berchtesgaden  area  after  the  sibly swept away by the rag-
                                                                                                   Ache  River  swelled.  At  least  ing torrent.
            (AP)  —  German  Chan-       Merkel  said  authorities  will  Merkel said, pointing to poli-  one person was killed and the
            cellor Angela Merkel sur-    work to “set the world right  cies already set in motion by  rail line to Berchtesgaden was  The ground in the town re-
            veyed  what  she  called  a  again in this beautiful region,  Germany  and  the  European  closed.                  mains  unstable  and  several
            “surreal,  ghostly”  scene  step by step,” and her Cabinet  Union  to  cut  greenhouse                              more  houses  could  collapse.
            in a devastated village on  will  approve  an  immediate  gas  emissions.  “And  never-  The Berchtesgaden area also  “We have to be careful with
            Sunday,  pledging  quick  and  medium-term  financial  theless,  the  second  lesson  is  is  the  home  of  the  sliding  every step we take,” fire offi-
            financial  aid  and  a  re-  aid program on Wednesday.    that we must pay great atten-  track  in  Koenigssee,  the  site  cer Olivier Jiust was quoted
            doubled political focus on                                tion to adaptation” to climate  of  major  international  bob-  as saying.
            curbing  climate  change  Finance Minister Olaf Scholz  change.                        sled, skeleton and luge events
            as  the  death  toll  from  told  the  Bild  am  Sonntag                               for more than 50 years. Large  The  flood-stricken  Dutch
            floods  in  Western  Europe  newspaper  that  more  than  Investing in fighting climate  segments  of  that  track  were  town of Venlo allowed most
            climbed above 180.           300 million euros ($354 mil-  change is expensive, she said,  destroyed,  parts  of  the  con-  residents  back  home  Sun-
                                         lion)  will  be  needed  imme-  but  failing  to  do  so  is  even  crete chute turned into rub-  day, and trains began running
            Merkel toured Schuld, a vil-  diately.  And  he  said  officials  more costly.         ble by the rushing water.    again in the area, authorities
            lage  on  a  tight  curve  of  the  must  set  up  a  longer-term                                                   said.
            Ahr  River  in  western  Ger-  rebuilding  program  which,  “One flood isn’t the example  A  flash  flood  hit  the  nearby
            many where many buildings  from  experience  with  previ-  of climate change, but if we  Austrian town of Hallein late  Meanwhile, a cow swept 100
            were  damaged  or  destroyed  ous  flooding,  will  be  in  the  look at the loss events of re-  Saturday,  but  there  were  no  kilometers (60 miles) along a
            by rapidly rising floodwaters  billions of euros.         cent years, decades, then they  reports of casualties. Farther  flooded Dutch river will live
            Wednesday night.                                          are  simply  more  frequent  west, flooding struck parts of  out its days in a meadow, ac-
                                         “Thankfully,  Germany  is  a  than they were previously —  the town of Kufstein. Heavy  cording to its owner. Farmer
            Although  the  mayor  of  country that can manage this  so we must make a great ef-    rain and storms caused seri-  Har Smeets told local broad-
            Schuld said no one was killed  financially,” said Merkel, who  fort,” Merkel said.     ous damage in several parts of  caster 1Limburg that he lost
            or injured there, many other  is stepping down as chancel-                             Austria.                     10 other cows to high water
            places weren’t so lucky. The  lor  following  an  election  in  Residents  in  the  devastated                      in  the  southern  part  of  the
            death  toll  in  the  Ahrweiler  September.  “Germany  is  a  areas will be needing support  Pope  Francis  prayed  for  the  Netherlands,  but  one  was
            area, where Schuld is located,  strong  country  and  we  will  and comfort for a long time  flood victims and in support  found by a cyclist outside the
            stood at 112. Authorities said  stand up to this force of na-  yet.                    of  the  “efforts  of  all  to  help  town  of  Escharen  and  res-
            people  are  still  missing  and  ture in the short term — but                         those  who  suffered  great  cued by firefighters.
            they  fear  the  toll  may  still  also in the medium and long  “This  flood  will  leave  scars  damage.”
            rise.                        term,  through  policy  that
                                         pays  more  regard  to  nature
            In neighboring North Rhine-  and the climate than we did
            Westphalia  state,  Germany’s  in recent years. That will be
            most  populous,  46  people  necessary too.”
            were  killed,  including  four
            firefighters.  Belgium  con-  Climate scientists say the link
            firmed 31 deaths.            between  extreme  weather
                                         and  global  warming  is  un-
            Merkel  said  she  came  away  mistakable  and  the  urgency
            from  Schuld,  still  partly  to tackle climate change un-
            strewn with rubble and mud  deniable.
            in  bright  sunshine,  with  “a
            real picture of, I must say, the  Scientists  can’t  yet  say  for
            surreal, ghostly situation.”  sure whether climate change
                                         caused the flooding, but they
            “It  is  shocking  —  I  would  insist that it certainly exacer-
            almost  say  that  the  German  bates the extreme weather di-
            language barely has words for  sasters on display around the
            the devastation that has been  world.
            wreaked,” she said at a news
            conference in a nearby town.  “We must get faster in the bat-
                                         tle  against  climate  change,”
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