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Germany: Storms force evacuation of more than 1,000 campers

August 25, 2023

Southern Germany has been hit by extreme weather, with several people injured by falling trees at a campsite on Lake Constance. Regional rail services were also affected.

https://p.dw.com/p/4VZ5U
Fallen tree lying on a caravan
Several trees were felled by the storm at the campsite in LindauImage: Tobias Beck/dpa/picture alliance

Severe storms hit two campsites on Lake Constance at the German border to Switzerland on Thursday, forcing the overnight evacuation of some 1,200 people.

One campsite was in Lindau, where six people were injured by falling trees, one seriously. Some 900 were evacuated from there, and another 300 people from a campsite in Friedrichshafen, some 30 kilometers (19 miles) away.

Cyclist on a flooded street
The picturesque southern city of Freiburg was also affected by the bad weatherImage: Einsatz-Report24/dpa/picture alliance

Disruption in southern Germany due to storms

Elsewhere in Germany's south, 10 more people were injured by flying debris when a storm hit a gathering of motorbikers in Nördlingen, in the state of Bavaria. Police said three people were hospitalized.

Falling trees caused the closure of several regional rail services in the state and the neighboring one of Baden-Württemberg to the west.

The city train in the Bavarian capital, Munich, was completely shut down during the night and some sections were still closed on Friday morning, rail operator Deutsche Bahn said.

In and around the city of Freiburg, in Baden-Württemberg, police said they were called out 600 times to incidents including flooding in cellars and on streets.

The stormy weather is due to continue in the two states on Friday, with thunderstorms possible during the day and in the evening, with severe storms in some locations bringing rain, hail and wind gusts of up to 100 kmh (62 mph), according to the German Weather Service (DWD).

tj/rc (dpa, AFP)

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