Merkel heads to flood zone facing questions over preparedness

BERLIN: German Chancellor Angela Merkel headed again to the country's flood disaster zone on Tuesday, her government besieged by questions over how Europe's richest economy was caught flat-footed by flooding that had been predicted days earlier.

The floods have killed more than 160 people in Germany since tearing through villages, sweeping away houses, roads and bridges last week, highlighting gaps in how warnings of severe weather are passed on to the population. With the country about 10 weeks away from national elections, the floods have put the crisis management skills of Germany's leaders on the agenda, with opposition politicians suggesting the death toll revealed serious failings in Germany's flood preparedness.