Manslaughter probe after deadly floods?

BERLIN: German prosecutors are weighing whether to open an investigation into manslaughter arising from failed or delayed warnings about July’s deadly floods.

Some 180 people died in severe floods in western Germany over two days in mid-July, raising questions about whether enough was done to warn residents ahead of time.

Prosecutors were looking into “negligent homicide as a result of possibly failed or delayed warnings or evacuations of the population”.

Interior Minister Horst Seehofer last week said cellphone text alerts will be issued in future to inform citizens of impending dangers. Sixty flood victims are still missing.