At least 100 people have died after devastating flooding across Germany and Belgium, as officials warn the death toll could keep rising

Sinéad Baker
·1 min read
Aerial image showing damaged houses in Germany after severe flooding
Aerial image showing damaged houses after severe floods at the Ahr river in Insul, western Germany. Michael Probst/AP

  • Western Germany and Belgium were hit by devastating floods following heavy rains this week.

  • At least 100 people have died in the two countries, and 1,300 people are missing in Germany, per the AP.

  • Houses collapsed and streets were completely flooded.

  • Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

At least 100 people have died and more than 1,000 people are missing as devastating floods hit Germany and Belgium this week.

The Associated Press reported the figure just before 5:30 a.m. ET Friday morning, citing deaths reported in the German states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Belgian media said at least 12 people had died in the country, the AP reported.

And some 1,300 people in Germany are still missing, the AP reported.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel said there could be "many" more deaths as more rain is expected on Friday, Sky News reported.

A car leaning on a bush
A view of flood devastated area after severe rainstorm and flash floods hit western states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, on July 16, 2021, in Ahrweiler district of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. Abdulhamid Hosbas/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Houses collapsed and streets turned into rivers in the flooding.

People were also trapped on their roofs, waiting to be rescued.

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