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Deadly flood hits Western Germany; over 81 people dead

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Western Germany has been hit by deadly flooding resulting in the death of over 80 people and reports of at least 1,300 others still missing.

This year’s flooding is considered one of the deadliest in modern history in Germany with majority of those badly affected coming from Ahrweiler district, south of the city of Cologne.

The disaster was caused by overnight rain on Wednesday leading to rivers bursting their banks and sweeping away homes.

North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland Palatinate states of Germany are the most affected by the flooding.

“I fear that we will only see the full extent of the disaster in the coming days,” Chancellor Angela Merkel said from Washington, as newspaper Bild branded it the ‘flood of death’.

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An infographic showing the areas most affected by the floods, in North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate.

Rhineland-Palatinate’s state premier,  Malu Dreyer, told broadcaster ZDF that the extent of damage in her state was inconceivable.

“The suffering keeps increasing,” Dreyer said on Friday adding that “Our country has never seen anything like it.”

Rescue workers are still searching for missing people as dozens were still missing across western Germany.

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On Thursday North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Armin Laschet visited the town of Hagen, which had been heavily impacted by the flooding.

“We will stand by the towns and people who’ve been affected,” Laschet told reporters.

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Source: Africafeeds.com

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