Belgium sets day of mourning as death toll from catastrophic floods in Europe rises to 153

Floods in Bad Schandau in Switzerland, near the border with Germany. Photo: Andreas Metallerreni / Pixabay.
The death toll from devastating floods in Europe has grown to 153 as of Saturday morning. Belgium will observe a day of mourning for the victims on July 20.
German authorities confirmed that 90 people have died in the Rhineland-Palatinate region, and 43 have died in neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia.
Rescue helicopters, fire crews and the military were deployed to the western German regions after rivers burst their banks due to heavy rainfall. The powerful flow of water swept up cars and destroyed houses in rural areas. Local media previously reported that many residents were unaccounted for because the phone connection was down.
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