Belgium holds day of mourning for flood victims

BRUSSELS, July 20– Belgium observed a national day of mourning on Tuesday to pay tribute to the victims of last Wednesday and Thursday’s deadly floods in the country. King Philippe of Belgium, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Walloon Minister-President Elio Di Rupo were in attendance. Experts said that the extreme weather, which brought three consecutive…

BRUSSELS, July 20 (Xinhua) — Belgium observed a national day of mourning on Tuesday to pay tribute to the victims of last Wednesday and Thursday’s deadly floods in the country.

A ceremony was held on Tuesday in Verviers near Liege, one of the towns worst affected by the disaster. Floodings along the Vesdre river there claimed many lives and destroyed several buildings.

King Philippe of Belgium, Prime Minister Alexander De Croo and Walloon Minister-President Elio Di Rupo were in attendance.

The destruction brought by the floods is understood to be linked to an overflowing dam in the Vesdre valley, which caused the river Meuse to burst its banks on Wednesday and Thursday.

Experts said that the extreme weather, which brought three consecutive days of torrential rains to Belgium, further exacerbated the problem caused by the floods.

At 12 noon on Tuesday, people observed a minute of silence to honor the victims and their families as flags flew at half staff.

On Tuesday, the death toll from the disaster stood at 31, with 116 people still missing, Interior Minister Annelies Verlinden told VTM news.

Tuesday’s ceremony came on the eve of Belgium’s National Day which falls on July 21.

Tuesday is “a moment to reflect on the heavy human toll but also to salute the outbursts of solidarity and the feeling of union in the population,” the prime minister said.

The Red Cross said that by Monday it had already received 3.9 million euros (4.6 million U.S. dollars) in donations. Enditem