The Koblenz prosecutor is checking the grounds for opening a criminal case on the facts of the deaths of people during the floods that occurred in the German district of Ahrweiler in mid-July.
It is reported by DW.
There is reason to believe that there has been negligent death and personal injury due to a lack or delay in evacuation warnings, local prosecutors said on Monday, August 2.
A corresponding check of press and police reports, as well as the results of existing examinations, is now being carried out.
In particular, the police have already provided preliminary data on the circumstances of the death of 12 people in a medical facility in the city of Sinzig. During the disaster, the water on the ground floor of the establishment rose very quickly, so people could not be delivered to a safe place. After establishing all the circumstances of the tragedy, these data will be assessed for possible suspicions of crimes.
As reported, as a result of the devastating flood that began in the west of Germany more than two weeks ago for heavy rains, at least 182 people died, of which 47th in North Rhine-Westphalia. 135 casualties were recorded in Rhineland-Palatinate, most of them in the Artal Valley, where Ahrweiler is located. 59 people are still missing.
Earlier, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ) newspaper reported that the day before the disaster, local authorities received an alarm from the Rhineland-Palatinate environmental department, but did not take timely action.
According to these data, already in the afternoon of July 14, the Land Department published forecasts of a significant excess of the water level in the Ar River of the previous maximum mark of 3.7 meters. In the evening of the same day, the department sent out emails warning of the threat. In particular, it warned at about 21:30 about the expected water level in Ara up to 7 meters. However, the authorities in Arweilere declared an emergency and began the evacuation at around 11 pm.
