Audio By Carbonatix
A Berlin-based climate Journalist says victims of the July floods in Germany cannot be blamed for the disaster because there was a poor warning system to alert them.
Noah Gordon says the politicians should rather be blamed for the deaths of over 180 people in the natural disaster.
"There was a little talk of the heavy rains that was approaching and there wasn't great warning about the flood that was coming," he said.
He said Germany had thousands of sirens in 1990s but they have not been activated.
"There was no text to warn them. There was app to warn but only ten million Germans have the app."
Last month, German prosecutors said they were considering whether there were grounds for investigations negligence of deaths during the floods.
Some Germans wondered whether authorities had done enough to warn residents of affected areas ahead of time.
In a statement, Germany's public prosecutor stated that it was examining whether preliminary proceedings should be initiated on "negligent homicide and negligent bodily harm as the result of possibly failed or delayed warnings or evacuations of the population."
According to the statement, evidence could include police reports on the deaths of 12 people in a care facility in the town of Sinzig, and news about the disaster.
The German Meteorological Service (DWD) said that local authorities did not pass on its warnings about the flooding.
In Zoom interview, Mr. Gordon told JoyNews Mahmud Mohammed-Nurudeen that Germany's warning system has not been the best and that lives could have been saved with proper warning.
Existing German emergency notification systems include sirens, radio and a smartphone application known as NINA.
Germany's Interior Minister, Horst Seehofer said he had issued an order for emergency alerts to be sent to cell phones connected to specific local network antenna.
But such mechanisms have generally been disapproved in Germany amid privacy concerns.
According to Gordon, one local politician and few people are being investigated about the crime.
Noah said the German government will spend €30 billion to rebuild after the catastrophic floods in July.
"This is good because the victims need help," he indicated.
The fund for "structural change" as part of Germany's coal phase-out was €40 billion. Really puts the "cost" of the energy transition into context, he said.
Latest Stories
-
Church of Pentecost supports over 2,000 BECE candidates in Obuasi with career guidance seminar
12 minutes -
Brandon Asante and Coventry all but promoted to Premier League despite Sheffield Wednesday draw
34 minutes -
GPL 2025/26: Late Kwartemaa strike downs Hearts in Tema
40 minutes -
Ghana Faces Sierra Leone Moment as Prosecutorial Powers come under strain
50 minutes -
Don’t consume fish or seafood from Tema Shipyard until further notice – FDA warns
55 minutes -
Why volunteering might be Africa’s most underrated career accelerator
1 hour -
ActionAid Ghana raises concern over gender gaps in Feed Ghana Programme
1 hour -
Windstorm wreaks havoc in Gushegu, displacing nearly 2,000 residents and damaging schools
1 hour -
Friends of Bridget Bonnie Marks her 35th birthday with donation to Kasseh Model Health Centre
2 hours -
From Ekumfi Kokodo to the Pulpit Stage: Essi Donkor’s gospel journey takes shape
2 hours -
Landfilling waste management creates no value, it’s an economic waste
2 hours -
Photos: Speaker Bagbin Commissions MPs constituency office under parliamentary decentralisation programme
3 hours -
Black Stars technical advisor Winfried Schäfer sacked as GFA shakes up backroom staff
3 hours -
Wenchi water project almost complete, critical to gov’t agenda – GWL MD
3 hours -
Anti-LGBTQ+ bill not part of government’s legislative agenda – Inusah Fuseini
3 hours