German Minister Says Rebuilding After Flood To Cost Billions Of Euros

The cost of rebuilding the flooded communities in western Germany will run to billions of euros, Interior Minister Horst Seehofer said on Monday during a visit to the region, Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa) reported.

The flooding of the Ahr tributary devastated communities in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate and neighboring areas, with residents and businesses trying to recover what they can as the waters recede and seeking help from the government.

"This is an exceptional situation that we can only overcome with hard work here and with a huge national effort," Seehofer said in the town of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler.

The number of people confirmed to have died rose again to 117 in Ahrweiler. At least 749 others were injured, a police spokesperson in Koblenz said on Monday. Many others are missing, although it is not known how many as communications in the region are still poor.

The floods last week also struck parts of the neighboring state of North Rhine Westphalia, killing 46 people. Across the border in Belgium, more than 30 people died. Seehofer also visited emergency forces in North Rhine Westphalia at the Steinbach Dam, which has been at risk of breaking for days.

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