Post-Disaster Interior Minister: No more missing persons in NRW after floods
Düsseldorf · Experts speak of a flood of the century in NRW. Meanwhile, Interior Minister Reul confirms that no more people are missing.
Two weeks after the flood disaster, no more people are missing in the affected areas of North Rhine-Westphalia. This was stated by Interior Minister Herbert Reul on Wednesday in the Interior Committee of the state parliament.
He added that there were 47 fatalities. According to previous findings, 23 people were presumably caught on the road by the water masses and swept to their deaths, as reported by the CDU politician at the special session in Düsseldorf. 23 persons were recovered lifelessly from their dwellings or cellars. In some cases the cause of death could not be clarified yet. Four of the deceased were firefighters.
Reul stressed that this was the biggest natural disaster that NRW had ever suffered. Experts had been predicting "at least" a storm of the century. Up to 23,000 firefighters, aid organizations, technical relief organizations and crisis teams were deployed.
At the beginning of the meeting, the deputies and the minister observed a minute of silence: For those affected by the floods, but also the explosion at the Leverkusen Chempark with at least two fatalities on Tuesday, and for all helpers.
(Original text: dpa, Translation: Mareike Graepel)
