Germany's Scholz to visit flood-hit areas
Floods over the past few days have devestated some parts of northern Germany
Germany Chancellor Olaf Scholz is due to arrive in the town of Verden, some 90 kilometers (55.9 miles) northwest of Hanover, as part of a visit to areas in Germany devastated by floods.
Scholz will take part in a flyover on the affected areas in northern Lower Saxony, followed by a briefing on the situation in Verden on the Aller River. Afterward, he will speak to citizens who have been impacted by the floods.
Tense flood situation in northern Germany
Floods have devastated several parts of northern Germany throughout the past few days.
Thousands of emergency forces have been engaged in facing the aftermath of the heavy rainfall, which has particularly affected the states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and North Rhine-Westphalia.
A slight drop in water levels has been reported around the Aller River, which flows in Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. However, authorities fear dykes, heavily softened by the floods, could burst in several places.
Officials urge against ‘disaster tourism’
Officials have urged residents not to engage in disaster tourism, stressing that the practice was hindering the work of emergency workers.
“Growing ‘flood tourism’ and traffic are preventing emergency services from getting through in many places,” the city of Celle, near Hanover, said. Officials called on residents to respect closures and only travel to the city if absolutely necessary
rmt/sms (AFP, dpa)