Over 30 Dead in Belgium Floods... Search for Missing Persons and Recovery Efforts Underway

In the town center of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany, swept by Storm Yuma, a fire truck is passing through a street piled high with building debris and household items on the 18th (local time). In western Germany, Belgium, and other parts of Western Europe, the death toll from floods caused by record-breaking rainfall not seen in 100 years is approaching 200.

The death toll from the floods in Belgium has surpassed 30.

On the 19th (local time), according to Belgian media RTBF and Le Soir, authorities in the southern Walloon region, where the damage was concentrated, announced that as of that morning, the death toll from the floods had reached 36. Additionally, it is estimated that between 30 and over 100 people are missing.

The previous evening, the Belgian Crisis Center officially confirmed 31 deaths and estimated that 163 people were missing.

However, local authorities explained that the number of missing persons could be due to various factors such as lost mobile phones, battery depletion causing communication failure, or individuals being transported to hospitals without identification.

The Belgian Crisis Center stated that there is no immediate danger in the affected areas anymore, that rescue operations have ended, but search efforts continue in some regions, and they will focus on debris cleanup and assessing material damage, AFP reported.

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