Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel visits flood-affected area

German Chancellor Angela Merkel reached the flood-affected region of the country on Sunday to assess the damage and meet the survivors.

Germany was hit by severe floods in the last few days that took more than 183 lives, injured hundreds, and misplaced dozens.

As soon as the rains stopped a bit, Merkel rushed to the village of Schuld in Rhineland-Palatinate state. She was spotted wearing hiking boots while fist-bumping rescue volunteers. She spent hours listening to the stories of the survivors and expressed condolences to the families of the victims.

Add WION as a Preferred Source

WATCH |

It is a surreal, eerie situation," she said. "It is shocking — I can almost say that the German language doesn't have words for the destruction that's been wreaked."

The Rhineland-Palatinate state alone has reported at least 100 dead bodies and 670 injured individuals after days of floods, which are being labelled as the worst floods in the recent past.

While some people were happy to see the leader come personally to check the damage, many people decided to instead volunteer in the search and rescue mission rather than following Merkel in her walkabout.

Meanwhile, as the death toll crossed 180, Germany’s insurance industry has urged the government to rethink its plans and policies related to climate change. "In many places, adaptation to the consequences of climate change is being neglected," Joerg Asmussen, managing director of the German Insurance Association (GDV) told local media. "We have to change course here, otherwise a spiral of further catastrophes and increasing damage will be set in motion, which will first become expensive and then at some point unaffordable."

Merkel, too, urged fellow leaders to "hurry" in its fight against global warming as experts warned extreme weather conditions will become more frequent in near future. "We have to be faster in the fight against climate change," Merkel said.

Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, has also offered support to Germany to express "our friendship and support of the German people in this time of destruction and loss."