Five people lost their lives due to floods in southern Germany.
Two individuals and a firefighter have tragically lost their lives in Bavaria, Germany, as confirmed by Juergen Weiss from the Bavarian firefighters' association. One person was swept away in their car, whereas the cause of death for the second civilian is still unknown. The firefighter was killed when his inflatable rubber boat flipped over on Saturday.
In a different part of the country, two more people passed away in Baden-Wuerttemberg, with authorities believing they lost their lives while attempting to remove water from their basement.
Regional authorities have shared that six people are still missing, including a 22-year-old firefighter.
In response to the torrential rainfall, the German Armed Forces have sent 800 individuals to support rescue operations. The German meteorological service expects no further heavy rainfall.
The River Danube is the primary focus of attention for rescuers, as it has been witnessing unprecedented levels of water passing through Regensburg since early Tuesday morning. On Monday, the town had to be evacuated due to the high risk of flooding.
The River Danube reached an alarming height of 9.6 meters (31.5 feet) in Passau, as per the Bavarian State Environmental Office. This marks almost double the standard level for this period.
The city of Regensburg, home to a renowned university, has seen three rivers meet, hence authorities have restricted motorized traffic and emptied underground parking lots.
The Bavarian firefighters' association has reported over 52,000 emergency workers, most of them volunteers, being deployed across the region to manage the aftermath of the flooding. They, however, face significant challenges due to the vast area impacted.
Chancellor Olaf Scholz, who visited the flood-stricken areas on Monday, mentioned that the frequent occurrences of severe weather events like flooding are indicators of global warming. He stated, "We are confident that this is not just an event that has been happening for centuries, but that there are more and more instances where we must confront disasters, primarily floods."
Vice Chancellor and Economy Minister Robert Habeck, also a member of the Greens Party, added on Sunday that climate change is resulting in more frequent and intense weather events. "What we are witnessing is a sharp rise in the frequency of these events. Record floods occur every few years... record rainfall every few years," he revealed to n-tv.
Devastating floods ravaged Western Europe in 2021, resulting in the deaths of at least 220 people between July 12 and 15, with the majority happening in Germany. Scientists investigating that incident found that the record rainfall that spurred the disastrous floods was 1.2 to 9 times more inclined to occur due to human-induced climate change.
Italy's Northeastern city of Udine was also struck by powerful currents from the swollen Natisone river, where firefighters found the bodies of two teenage girls. The fire department has been searching for a missing third individual.
Slovenia's Radenci and Gornja Radgona municipalities, situated near the Austrian border, were severely damaged by flooding on Monday.
Croatia's Krapina-Zagorje county, bordering Slovenia, experienced floods and landslides following heavy rainfall on Monday. Articles released by Croatian public news agency HINA reveal the severity of recent weather events.
Contributions to this report have been made by CNN's Barbie Nadeau and Louis Mian.
Paraphrased text, right? :)
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In the same region where two individuals lost their lives in Bavaria, authorities suspect that another two people met their demise while attempting to drain water from their basement in Baden-Wuerttemberg. The firefighter who perished in Bavaria was helping with rescue operations when his inflatable boat flipped over.
