At least 42 people are dead
and over 50 missing after heavy rains and floods lashed western Germany, police
said on Thursday, adding that the rising waters led several houses to collapse.

Four
of the nine people died in the municipality of Schuld where a number of houses
were swept away by floods, a police spokesman in the city of Koblenz told AFP.

Rhineland-Palatinate
and North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) states were the worst hit, which has caused
rivers to burst their banks and threatens to bring down further homes.

Also Read: Lightning, flash floods lash north India; 52 dead, vehicles, bridge washed away

“The
storms hit our state hard. I am worrying along with everyone who’s in
danger,” Rhineland-Palatinate Premier Malu Dreyer tweeted.

She
thanked “all the volunteers, fire fighters and emergency workers fighting
tirelessly and with great effort against the deluge.”

Emergency
workers struggled to evacuate people in endangered buildings and two firemen
were killed in the line of duty in the towns of Altena and Wedohl. Two other
men died in flooded cellars in nearby Solingen and Unna one more death was
reported in Rheinbach.

A
crisis hotline number was set up for people to report missing loved ones and
residents were asked to send in videos and photos that could help them in the
search. Rescue workers were deployed in helicopters to pluck desperate people
off streets and rooftops.

Regional
official Juergen Pfoehler called on people to stay home “and, if possible,
go to higher floors” of their homes.

“The
situation is very serious,” he said, AFP reported. 

Also Read: List of floods that affected India in last year

Meanwhile,
NRW leader Armin Laschet, who is running to succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel in
September elections, cancelled a party meeting in Bavaria to keep tabs on the
situation in Germany.

Neighbouring
Belgium has also seen several days of heavy rain that has caused rivers in the
French-speaking region of Wallonia to burst their banks. The provinces of Liege
and Namur were especially affected, with the resort town of Spa completely
flooded.