Slovenia floods: First German emergency team starts work

A team of experts from Germany's Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) has begun assessing damage and preparing for the deployment of further emergency personnel with heavy salvage equipment following devastating floods and landslides in Slovenia.

After the floods, in which at least six died, EU member Slovenia activated the bloc's Disaster Response Mechanism, under which international teams will arrive in the country to help with rescue and recovery operations.

Germany is sending two prefabricated bridges and France will deliver two special excavators. The first THW team has also brought one of two excavators with it.

More volunteers are to follow in the coming days.

The German Foreign Ministry is to finance the mission, which is expected to cost around €700,000 ($767,000).  

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to visit Slovenia on Wednesday. 

Scenes of devastation

The team's head of operations, Thorsten Meier, told public broadcaster ZDF that the destruction in Slovenia reminded him of similar sights following the Ahr Valley floods in western Germany two years ago.

"We also have houses torn away here, bridges torn away and a great deal of destruction in the area where the flood waters went through," he said.

Meier said there was "a great need for temporary bridges" because towns were still cut off. But he said that he had "a good impression on the ground. Things are going extremely fast and well, I feel."

Slovenian authorities say the flooding affected two-thirds of the country's 2.1 million residents.

Prime Minister Robert Golob, who has described the disaster as the worst natural catastrophe in the country in almost 30 years,  estimated the total damage at more than €500 million.

"In these difficult times, Slovenia is not alone," Golob's office wrote on Monday. "We have many friends and international support, including from the EU, NATO and the US." 

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has expressed his sympathy on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, "Our thoughts are with the victims, their loved ones and all those who have lost their home." 

Deadly catastrophe

The flooding that began on Friday triggered landslides, caused villages to be evacuated and submerged roads and train tracks.

The six people who died included two Dutch men who were struck by lightning while hiking. Another fatality was a man who had been helping in clean-up operations near the capital, Ljubljana, police said.

Croatia and Austria also experienced extreme weather during the same period.

tj/wmr (AFP, dpa)