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Severe flooding sweeps Germany, with at least 20 dead and dozens missing due to ‘unusual’ rains

At least 20 people have died and dozens more are missing following heavy rainfall and severe flooding across the west of Germany, causing houses to collapse and cars to be swept away, local media reported Thursday.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said she was “shocked” at chaotic scenes from flooded areas and offered sympathy to the families of those dead and missing.

“To the many tireless helpers and emergency workers, I thank you from the bottom of my heart,” she said.

As many as 50 residents also remain trapped on the roofs of their homes awaiting rescue, local officials said, as they warned that other buildings may be on the verge of crumbling.

Two firefighters sent to assist those trapped by rising waters in the Sauerland region died this week, according to news agency DPA.

The country’s biggest power distribution company Westnetz estimated Thursday that around 200,000 homes were without electricity as a result of the widespread flooding.

In the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, the extreme weather led to the collapse of six houses.

The army has been deployed to help evacuate panicked residents with more rainfall forecast in southwestern Germany later this week.

On Wednesday, the German weather service issued an extreme weather alert — a warning that environmental expert Bernd Mehlig said was “completely unusual in summer.”

Steffen Seibert, a spokesman for the German government said the severe flooding was “terrible” and pondered its link to climate change.

“Even though not every event, not every flooding or local incident, is related to climate change, many scientists tell us that the frequency, the intensity and the regularity with which this happens is a consequence of climate change,” he said, according to the Associated Press.

On social media, many shared photos of rising waters, while local police used the platform to urge onlookers not to block vital escape routes.

Earlier this week in Britain, flash floods sparked widespread travel chaos, with parts of London experiencing a month’s worth of rain in just one day. Locals were evacuated and cars became trapped as floodwaters continued to rise.

Switzerland also issued travel and weather warnings this week as heavy rainfall and thunderstorms brought flooding to the city of Zurich.

“I went out for a walk in the early morning and the rain just didn’t stop. There were huge trees that had been brought down in the night, it was really scary,” one local told Reuters.

Luisa Beck in Berlin and Amar Nadhir in Bucharest contributed to this report 

Reference: The Washington Post: Jennifer Hassan