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After the severe flooding on the French Côte d’Azur, rescue teams are searching for at least nine missing people. Several villages are cut off from the outside world and air traffic has been partially suspended.
Heavy rains have caused dangerous flooding in the region of the French Riviera metropolis, Nice. According to media reports, at least nine people are missing, including two firefighters whose vehicle was washed away by flooding during a deployment on Friday night.
In a town about 50 kilometers north of Nice, two residents who had fled to the roof of their house due to increased flooding were missing: the house collapsed, according to authorities, and both people disappeared in the floods. Around 13,500 homes in the region were without electricity. Around 850 firefighters were on duty in the affected Alpes-Maritimes department.
A representative from the Alpes-Maritimes prefecture spoke of an “unprecedented situation”, large areas were affected by floods and several villages were cut off from the outside world. A bridge collapsed in the village of Saint-Martin-Vésubie. A member of the local parliament reported that the local gas station had been washed away by flooding and that several houses had been severely damaged.
Tidal waves forecast for Nice
The floods were triggered by heavy rains, especially in the mountainous interior of the region around Nice, which continued overnight. Dangerous tidal waves were predicted for Nice. The Var river overflowed. Air traffic to Nice was suspended and all train stations in the region were closed.
The weather situation is calming down, but there is considerable damage and many people missing, Nice Mayor Christian Estrosi said via Twitter. Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin vowed to send additional helicopters and firefighters to the region after a crisis meeting in Paris. Prime Minister Jean Castex says he wants to travel with Darmanin to the affected Alpes-Maritimes department as soon as circumstances allow.
