This Sunday the first fatality of the rainy and windy season was reported, which has especially affected the southeast of France. In addition, so far it is known that there are seven missing people in the departments of Gard (six) and Ardèche (one). The orange alert remains, as well as the rescue efforts.
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Seven people are missing after the torrential rains that hit a large area of southeastern France, while it was learned that an 80-year-old fisherman was found dead on the west coast of the country, the first victim of this inclement weather.
According to the France Bleu channel, he drowned due to the rising tide on the coast of the Ile de Ré, an area that extends from the Spanish border with the Basque Country to Brittany, and which this Sunday is on alert due to the risk of waves and tides.
In the search operations in the last few hours, 300 firefighters have carried out 35 rescues and have used four helicopters and drones.
When the cases began to be known
Early in the morning, the Gard Government Delegation reported that the first person, a Belgian national, disappeared in Gagnières, on Saturday night.
Afterwards, three were lost in the Dions area: two minors, ages 4 and 13, and their father. The mother managed to escape from the vehicle swept away by the waters of the Gard River.
Also two women, aged 47 and 50, who were heading to Spain – although they did not have that nationality – disappeared in Goudargues, at 5 this morning.
Subsequently, the man, whose trace was lost, was reported in Saint-Martin-de-Valama (Ardèche). According to an official source, this is the director of a hydroelectric plant who had gone to check its installation.
The four cases have to do with vehicles that were traveling near the river bank or on a bridge.
Orange alert remains
From the crisis center set up in Paris, the French Interior Minister, Gérald Darmanin, assured on Sunday, March 10, that The vehicles in which the missing people were traveling have been found, “but not the people” involved in the four accidents.
This after Gard and six other departments were placed on orange alert on Saturday, March 9, by Météo-France, due to the episode of very intense rains related to Storm Monica, which devastated a large quarter of southeastern France.
The orange level is the third on a scale of four and asks citizens to be “very alert” due to “foreseen dangerous phenomena.” It is especially recommended to avoid driving or approaching water courses.
With AFP and EFE
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