Source: Global Times
[Global Times reporter Aoki] What an ugly scene! Germany's "Western Daily" reported on the 21st that the flood in western Germany caused at least 170 deaths, and volunteers from all over the world came to the disaster area to participate in rescue and clean-up work. At the same time, the disaster area also attracted a group of "disaster sightseeing groups", who organized groups to take photos in front of the affected houses. Some lawless elements even took advantage of the fire to loot and illegally encroach on property in the disaster area.
A volunteer involved in the rescue effort in the city of Leichlingen said that while they were cleaning up the debris on the street, a "disaster sightseeing group" with coffee and cake sat down in front of the bridge to watch them rescue people and clean up the scene. He told Der Spiegel that these people not only took pictures on the street, but also laughed, completely basing their happiness on the pain of others.
Germany suffered severe floods (Source: foreign media)
The Svestal region also attracts many "tourists" to "sightseeing". The Bonn General Report says that some people come here on bicycles as if they were enjoying an outing. "They take pictures in front of our blistered house, and without permission they go into the house and look around, and some people smile at you as if they're in a zoo," locals said. In addition, many "net red" teams have come to the disaster area to take videos and photos and post them online, and the local government has called on them not to come and add to the chaos.
What is even more infuriating is that there are also many "theft gangs" in the disaster area. Police in Hagen city have recently received multiple reports of unidentified private cars in several affected areas of the city. These private car drivers carry large items such as scrap metal and electronic products in front of the affected houses to their cars. There are also thieves who take the opportunity to enter the pharmacy and steal a large amount of medicine. In the city of Mülheim, a resident said several washing machines on the affected streets disappeared overnight.
In response, in a televised speech to the german state governor and prime ministerial candidate Laschet, he said: "I am angry that the houses of the people who have become a ruin have been looted." It is said that the Police in the Cologne region have deployed 500 additional police to protect the property of the victims, and other disaster towns have also begun to vigorously crack down on theft.