Page 29 - bon-dia-aruba-20210719
P. 29
A29
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,”