Flooding forces the evacuation of Limburg campsites packed with holiday travelers

Two campsites in the Limburg village of Etenaken were in the process of being evacuated Saturday morning due to a threat of flooding, the southern Limburg regional emergency services office said. At the campsite De Gele Anemoon, 58 guests must leave their camping spots, and 128 more must leave De Gronselenput campsite 128. The campers will be taken by buses to a nearby hotel, the safety office said.

Both campsites, which are located on the banks of the Geul River, were well occupied for the Pentecost holiday weekend. An employee of De Gele Anemoon said that the guests have now left, leaving behind their tents, campers and caravans.

The campsite is trying to get in touch with guests who were supposed to arrive on Saturday to tell them that they cannot come. According to the employee, the access road to the campsite is under water.

At De Gronselenput campsite, river water entered the grounds in a few places, said an employee. The water was not yet threatening to reach the abandoned caravans, campers and tents there.

A few people stayed behind at the campsite to monitor the situation. "We now have to wait to see what the water will do."

Belgium

A great deal of rain fell in a short time in the Belgian Voer region on Friday. The Berwijn River, in the Maas basin, has overflowed its banks. In the municipality of Voeren, several streets were covered in water, and houses were flooded. Residents were also evacuated from their homes.

Emergency services workers said that the situation in the Voer region could also have consequences for the water levels in southern Limburg. Several meadows and floodplains have been flooded, but there are no problems yet in the built-up areas.

Due to the flooding, no trains were running between Maastricht Randwyck and the Belgian border town of Visé, the NS said. The Dutch national railway predicted that train traffic would not be resumed until Sunday morning.