BRUSSELS – Belgian authorities yesterday called in the army to assist with emergency evacuations after flooding killed two people in the southwestern Hainaut province.
A 72-year-old woman drowned near Beaumont after her husband lost control of their vehicle, firefighters said. A second victim, who was on his way home, was found just metres away.
“This is a catastrophe for our region,” the mayor of Beaumont, Charles Dupuis, said.
A woman was missing after being carried away by the water, according to authorities in the town of Lessines.
Officials described the flooding as the worst in 50 years. The national weather service said in two days Belgium absorbed as much rainfall as it normally gets in a month. Rivers and creeks overflowed in western and central Belgium causing basements and streets to flood in scores of towns and cities. Rail traffic was seriously interrupted.
The situation appeared particularly serious in the Brabant region, just outside Brussels, and Hainaut province, where Beaumont and Lessines are located.– (AP)