2015-10-05 09:00:00

French Riviera floods, death toll rises


(Vatican Radio) At least 17 people have died and four are missing in massive flooding which has caused severe damage on France’s famed Riviera.

Listen to Stefan Bos' report:

Torrential rains have transformed the postcard-perfect French Riviera into a terrifying flood zone. Cars litter the streets in Cannes and the severe flooding reportedly washed dozens of other vehicles out to sea.

More than a dozen people have died in the flooding, trapping hundreds of ailing pilgrims and halting car and train traffic Sunday along the mud-drenched Mediterranean coast.  Victims were found dead in a retirement home, campsites, and cars submerged in a tunnel.

Residents have called it the worst flooding they'd ever seen. It prompted President Francois Hollande to pay an emergency visit Sunday to promise government aid for victims.

Escaping death

A survivor recalled how he had struggled to stay alive. One British tourist told of his narrow escape: “I thought that I was going to die," the British tourist said. "Because when this was going I thought should I let myself go and travel with the water .. down there. . There was a girl behind me.. she wanted to get her car…she disappeared,” he recalled.

France's Interior Ministry said rivers and streams overflowed their banks as fierce thunderstorms poured more than 18 centimeters of rain in Cannes and some other areas.

The Cannes region saw the equivalent of two months of rainfall in less than two hours. Helicopters have patrolled the area where 27,000 homes were without electricity Sunday. 

With the search for survivors continuing, Pope Francis has urged prayers for the devastated region.

Some residents have criticized authorities for not doing more to prevent flood damage in the region, which is prized by tourists and residents for its mild year-round climate but which has seen increasing flooding in recent years.

Local firefighters and meteorologists said the amount of rain Saturday was unusual for the region this time of year, but were especially shocked by the intensity and speed of the storm.








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