126 killed; hundreds missing

The death toll from devastating floods in Europe soared to at least 126 yesterday, most in western Germany where emergency responders were frantically searching for missing people.   

Unsuspecting residents were caught completely off guard by the torrent dubbed the "flood of death" by Germany's top-selling daily Bild.

Streets and houses were submerged by water in some areas, while cars were left overturned on soaked streets after flood waters passed. Some districts were completely cut off from the outside world.

"Everything was under water within 15 minutes," Agron Berischa, a 21-year-old decorator from Bad Neuenahr in Rhineland-Palatinate state, told AFP.

Residents were shocked by the damage as floodwaters continued to rise overnight.

"We rushed home and found ourselves waist-deep in water. And overnight another 50 centimetres were added," said Christoph Buecken in Eschweiler in North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW).

Adding to the devastation, several more people were feared dead in a landslide in northern Germany on Friday triggered by floods.

Hundreds were unaccounted for in the country, while the death toll in Belgium jumped to 23 with more than 21,000 people left without electricity in one region.

Luxembourg and the Netherlands were also hammered by heavy rains, inundating many areas and forcing thousands to be evacuated in the city of Maastricht.

At least 24 people were confirmed dead in Euskirchen, one of the worst-affected towns.

The number of casualties in Rhineland-Palatinate has reached 60, bringing the national toll to at least 103, authorities said yesterday.

In Ahrweiler, around 1,300 people were unaccounted for, although local authorities told Bild the high number was likely due to damaged phone networks.

In Belgium, the army has been sent to four of the country's 10 provinces to help with rescue and evacuations.