German Defence Minister, Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, on Friday called on the country’s armed forces to make rescue efforts their top priority.

The minister said that the death toll in western Germany has continued to rise due to heavy rainfall and flooding.

According to her, she had already ordered all activities, not directly related to missions abroad, be put on hold in order to provide support to the regions affected.

“The top priority is disaster relief in the affected cities and communities, the images from the flood regions dismay us all.

“The Bundeswehr is already providing energetic help with hazard prevention and clearing work with the forces quickly available on the ground,’’ she said.

Soldiers supported the rescue and recovery operations with 495 men and women in 11 districts and cities in the state of North-Rhine Westphalia.

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More than 200 soldiers were deployed in nine districts and cities in Rhineland-Palatinate, although the numbers were higher as not all vehicle crews were counted.

Soldiers were mainly rescuing people, evacuating buildings, organizing fuel, and distributing sandbags, while the Police were providing protection and preventing possible looting.