it started suddenly like a tsunami / article

Following last week’s floods in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium, clean-up work is ongoing and damage detection has begun. In many places, quarters devastated by water currents open up, and in some places rescuers are still searching for people in the ruins of buildings.

LTV correspondent Ilze Nagla has gone to Pepanster, a town in the east of Belgium, which has been hit hardest by last week’s floods. Pepanster is a small town near Liège, close to the German border. Five days ago, when the river left its banks, it was overwhelmed by huge floods, and several buildings collapsed.

Rescuers must work very carefully

1,000 people were evacuated from the city. In Belgium, more than 30 people have died in the floods, but more than 160 people are still unknown. They are still being sought by rescuers, firefighters, the army. Specially trained service dogs are used to find people buried in the ruins. There were still reports on Sunday that voices could still be heard from the ruins of collapsed buildings, but now they have fallen silent and these people have not been found.

“Searching is especially difficult because buildings and roofs can invade. There is a lot of garbage, debris and several unstable structures.

We must be careful at every step to avoid a new collapse in which we too could be trapped. We can be victims ourselves, ”says rescue service spokesman Olivier Gist.

Belgium has suffered heavy losses

A minute of silence was observed at noon on Tuesday throughout Belgium to commemorate those killed in the floods.

The floods have damaged the railway line, affecting not only Belgium but also the supply of goods to France. The damage in Belgium is estimated at more than EUR 150 million, but this figure is likely to increase.

The city’s sewers now need to be cleaned to avoid another flood. People clean mud from homes and streets brought in by a stream of water.

He spent nine hours on the roof

Paul Braser, a resident of Pepanster, and his wife Madelaine remember that the floods started suddenly.

“Around 11 or 11.30 we saw water. It came from a road that is not even by the river.

The water came like a tsunami, it happened so suddenly. We tried to get down to the first floor to collect as much stuff as we could. In less than 10 minutes we were already under water, we had to swim, the fridge almost fell on top of me, the walls started to fall, we went to the second floor.

All day we watched the water level go up and up. It reached the second floor at 3 p.m. We stayed awake to follow what was happening. We trusted each other. When the water reached the second floor, we moved to the third floor, but the water just kept climbing and climbing. And around 6 in the morning we saw buildings collapse here and there, there are people on the roofs. [Raud]. The buildings collapsed, everything fell into the water. ”

Paul and nine others spent nine hours on the roof while his son’s best friend’s father picked up the boat. Because the walls of the house began to fall and it was no longer safe to stay on the roof.

Paul turned 42 on Saturday, but he believes the best gift for his birthday is that his family – his wife and two children – survived.

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