Death toll from European flooding rises above 160

Days of heavy rain turned normally minor rivers and streets into raging torrents this week and caused the disastrous flooding that swept away cars, destroyed homes and trapped residents

A view of destroyed houses in Erftstadt-Blessem, Germany. Picture: Michael Probst/AP

Rescue crews worked to clear up damage laid bare by receding water on Saturday as the death toll from disastrous flooding in western Europe rose above 160.

The death toll in western Germany’s Rhineland-Palatinate state, home to the badly hit Ahrweiler county, rose to 98.