The State Prosecutor’s Office of the German city of Koblenz (Arweiler district, land Rhineland-Palatinate) has been a criminal case at the district administration. Her employees are suspected of criminal negligence, which led to the death of people in the July deadly floods. This is reported in a press release of departments.
The prosecutor’s office argues that local authorities have notified too late the inhabitants of an impending disaster and did not organize a timely evacuation. It is specified that the spill of the River AR, which after severe rainfall flooded the surrounding settlements is a seasonal phenomenon that could be traced. The negligence of the administration could lead to the death of local residents. Law enforcement officers will also evaluate the actions of the head of the local crisis headquarters during the disaster.
The press release of the prosecutor’s office states that suspicions have not yet been confirmed and the mistakes of district officials could not be associated with negligence. The departments asked local residents to help investigate and report important information regarding the case. Law enforcement officers did not indicate the preliminary periods of the investigation, promising that “it will be a long process.” According to the prosecutor’s office, 141 people died in the floods, another 700 were injured.
As of July 18, 156 dead killed in Germany in Germany, another 670 people were injured. So far, more than a thousand people are missing missing. For search and rescue operations, the authorities were connected to the army.