Parts of southern Germany remained submerged on Sunday (June 2) after heavy rain in recent days caused severe flooding, especially in the states of Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg.

Locals in the Bavarian village of Reichertshofen near Ingolstadt, north of Munich said they had never before seen such huge amounts of water.

Farmer Gerhard Bayerl, sitting on his tractor, said authorities had begun evacuating people after the water level rose by 20 centimeters, or 7.8 inches “within 10 minutes.”

A 42-year-old firefighter died while trying to save trapped residents when a rescue boat carrying four firefighters that capsized late on Saturday (June 1).

His body was recovered early on Sunday, said a spokesperson for the Bavarian town of Pfaffenbach an der Ilm, around 50 km (30 miles) north of Munich.

Also on Sunday, German Vice Chancellor Robert Habeck and Bavarian state premier Markus Soeder visited the affected area and met with rescue services.

Parts of Europe were hit by major flooding in 2021 that killed nearly 200, with Germany bearing the brunt. The disaster was largely blamed on the consequences of climate change and prompted calls for stricter warning and safety measures.