Floods in Germany’s Bavaria disrupt European Parliament elections

Reuters reports that a firefighter died while trying to rescue trapped residents and several thousand people were forced to leave their homes as heavy rain caused flooding in southern Germany.

Floods in germany’s bavaria disrupt european parliament electionsThe recent floods in Germany’s state of Bavaria has affected voters for the European Parliament elections, with a number of polling stations forced to relocate and reports of lost voting documents.

Bavaria’s state election officer, Thomas Gössl, on Thursday said that town halls were not yet usable in some affected regions, which is why provisional municipal administrations have been set up.

Flooding kills 10 members of a single family in a village

However, conversations with the election officers in these areas have shown that the election can be conducted properly, he said.

According to Gössl, voters who had lost their voting documents due to the floods or have not received them should contact their local authority promptly to request and collect new documents.

Gössl said new voting cards can still be issued in Bavaria until 12 pm (1000 GMT) on Saturday.

 

Reuters reports that a firefighter died while trying to rescue trapped residents and several thousand people were forced to leave their homes as heavy rain caused flooding in southern Germany.
The 42-year-old man who died was in a rescue boat carrying four firefighters that capsized late on Saturday. His body was recovered early on Sunday, said a spokesperson for the Bavarian town of Pfaffenbach an der Ilm, around 50 km (30 miles) north of Munich.

In the small town of Fischach near Augsburg northwest of Munich, the Schmutter river caused significant flooding, leading to the partial submersion of a rail bridge in waves, according to Reuters.

The floods have also affected streets and fields, prompting firefighters to close off areas and redirect traffic away from the most severely impacted areas.