The death toll as a result of the flood in Belgium has risen to 41. Two people are still being sought. Walloon Prime Minister Elio Di Rupo announced this at a press conference about the reconstruction plans of the Walloon region.
A special commission has been set up to repair all water damage. The exact extent of the total damage is not yet known, according to Di Rupo, but “a lot of money” will be needed. The Walloon government has in any case reserved two billion euros for reconstruction.
202 of the 262 municipalities in Wallonia are eligible for money from the disaster fund. “That reflects the magnitude of the drama,” said Di Rupo.
In the near future, municipalities will already receive millions to tackle the most necessary problems, such as housing for residents of houses that have become uninhabitable and the remediation of contaminated soil as a result of flooding.
Military aid
Starting tomorrow, the Flemish Red Cross will deploy 200 crisis workers daily in the affected municipalities. They will provide assistance in cleaning homes and businesses. In addition, Belgian Prime Minister De Croo has promised that 250 soldiers will remain in the area.
No details have been released about the two remaining missing persons. It has been more than a week since the country was hit hard by the floods. In addition to the 41 deaths in Belgium, 177 people were killed in Germany.
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