Suspicion of negligent homicide
The public prosecutor announces the results of the investigation into the flood disaster in Ahrtal
Damage in Ahrtal after devastating floods
© AFP
Could more lives have been saved during the 2021 flood disaster in the Ahr Valley? This question has been at the center of the public prosecutor’s investigation for almost three years. Now there is a result.
Almost three years after the devastating flood disaster in the Ahr Valley in Rhineland-Palatinate with 135 deaths, the Koblenz public prosecutor’s office announced the results of its investigation on Thursday (1 p.m.). The main question is whether she will bring charges against the former district administrator of the Ahrweiler district, Jürgen Pföhler (CDU), and another member of the crisis team.
In August 2021, the authority initiated investigations into initial suspicions of negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm caused by omission.
Several devastated communities in the Ahr valley
The investigation focused on the question of whether the consequences could have been at least partially avoided by acting differently. The conclusion of the investigation kept being postponed. The reason for this was an extensive report that the state parliament’s investigative committee also dealt with.
Heavy rainfall in mid-July 2021 triggered catastrophic flooding on rivers in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia. Many communities, especially in the Ahr Valley, were devastated. More than 180 people died in total and hundreds were injured.