At least 16 people have been killed in and around the French
Riviera after sudden heavy rains prompted flooding, trapping some in cars and
in a retirement home.
Francois Hollande, the French president, said in a statement
on Sunday that people were found dead in the towns of Cannes, Biot, Golfe-Juan
and Mandelieu-la-Napoule in the southeast.
Heavy flooding along the Cote d'Azur in France's southeast
saw the River Brague burst its banks close to the city of Antibes, sending
deadly waves crashing into a nearby home for the elderly, killing three people.
A woman in her sixties also died on the street in the city
of Cannes when huge storms hit the region on Saturday night, sending water and
debris coursing down submerged roads in the famous festival town and in
neighbouring Nice.
Another victim was found dead at an Antibes campsite,
according to local officials.
"Some cars were carried off into the sea," said
Cannes Mayor Davis Lisnard, describing water levels as reaching halfway up car
doors and trees left uprooted on the city's main drag.
"We have rescued a lot of people, and we must now be
vigilant against looting," he added, announcing that an emergency plan was
now in effect to mobilise police, emergency responders and municipal services.
- The areas worst hit by flooding were also the hardest to access, officials said, raising fears the death toll could rise again, while 35,000 homes were confirmed to be without power.
French rail company SNCF said around a dozen trains had to
be halted with hundreds on board for the safety of passengers, while roads
around Antibes were also flooded, according to French emergency services.
Campsites are under water, and two helicopters are
circling to ensure the public's security, as some people are stuck on the roof
of their caravans, said a spokeswoman for the fire brigade.
Up to 500 tourists, including several British and Danish
nationals, sought shelter overnight at Nice airport, while a Nice-Nantes
football match was also interrupted by the downpour.
Source: AFP
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