Before its special session on Monday, the state parliament of North Rhine-Westphalia observed a minute's silence in memory of the victims of the severe weather disaster in July. More than 180 people died in the floods, including 47 in North Rhine-Westphalia, and the parliament also paid tribute to the efforts of the full-time and volunteer helpers. Representatives from relief, rescue and social services and the German Armed Forces, among others, came to the state parliament. The Managing Director of the I.S.A.R. Germany Foundation, Michael Lesmeister, took part on behalf of our emergency team.
André Kuper, President of the State Parliament, began by saying: „The storms in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia brought unimaginable suffering and devastation: People not only lost their belongings within a few hours, many people also lost their lives in this disaster. Among them were four firefighters who were on the scene to save lives. We sympathise with the relatives and families, with the friends and acquaintances of the deceased. We are in mourning with them.
And the images and reports of the destruction and devastation still leave us stunned. “The fact that there are no more victims and that the clean-up work is progressing is thanks to the helpers and organisations: „Many people have been brought to safety. Rescue workers, emergency services, farmers, tradespeople, municipal crisis teams and our Bundeswehr are working tirelessly and to the point of exhaustion - even at this hour and beyond.“
Photo: Volker Hartmann