UPDATES DEATH TOLL; ADDS OFFICIAL STATEMENTS, CHANGES HEADLINE, LEDE, DECK; EDITS THROUGHOUT
By Erbil Basay
BERLIN (AA) - The number of people who died in floods in western Germany rose to 103 on Friday, officials confirmed.
In Rhineland-Palatinate, at least 60 people have died due to severe flooding, the region’s premier Malu Dreyer told a Cabinet meeting, public broadcaster ARD has reported.
In the neighboring North Rhine-Westphalia region, officials have confirmed 43 deaths.
Germany's worst floods in more than 200 years have swept away homes, caused widespread devastation in various towns and villages in the western regions.
Local officials said nearly 1,300 people were still missing in the Ahrweiler district, but the exact figure was not clear, as the floods have cut electricity and disrupted telephone communications.
The army has deployed around 850 soldiers to the hard-hit areas to assist in rescue efforts.
Many homes in the two states have collapsed and others face the risk of collapsing due to the floods, while streets are submerged.
The extent of the damage and overall situation in flood-stricken areas remains unclear as rescue workers had to cope with torrential rains that dumped 148 liters (39 gallons) per square meter in 48 hours.
Helicopters were used to rescue residents stranded on streets, in trees and on rooftops.
Villages and small towns in the western and southwestern areas of the country were cut off by floodwater and landslides that made roads impassable.
Authorities in Rhineland-Palatinate warned that they expected waters in the Rhine and Moselle rivers to swell with additional rainfall.
There have also been massive power outages as more than 200,000 households are without electricity.
Meanwhile, public transportation has been severely affected by the catastrophic situation as train and bus services have been canceled or disrupted.