In Saint-Martin-Vésubie, many houses were washed away and other threats to collapse -

AFP

  • After storm Alex, there are at least eight missing in the Alpes-Maritimes and a dozen other people, who have not given any news, are "wanted".

  • Many relief resources are engaged in the department where exceptional floods have devastated entire villages.

The urgency is to organize relief in the Alpes-Maritimes.

So this Sunday, nearly 1,000 firefighters are mobilized in this department hit by exceptional floods, to work to restore communication lines and search for missing persons.

And the effort is "major and priority" in the Roya valley, on the border with Italy, said the prefect Bernard Gonzalez this Sunday.

In this alpine valley, many municipalities are still inaccessible by road, two days after the torrential rains and floods that hit the South-East of France and the North of Italy, killing two people on the Italian side and at least eight missing in France.

About ten other people are "wanted" on the national territory, that is to say that "we have no news" specified Prime Minister Jean Castex.

Helicopter ballet

Many roads are cut off by landslides or collapses.

"The connections remain very difficult" even by phone, said the prefect of the Alpes-Maritimes, and some villages are cut off from the world, completely unreachable.

"The helicopter ballet will resume all day long, we will concentrate the air forces on this area", assured the prefect, not hiding his "concern about the weather", however, which could slow down air operations.

In Italy, two people, including a firefighter, were found dead.

On Saturday evening, 21 people who were reported missing by the Italian authorities were rescued on the French side of the Alps, near Tende, in Roya.

In the morning, a missing French gendarme was also found safe and sound.

The army and hundreds of rescue workers deployed

The floods described as "exceptional" by Météo France have ravaged villages in the Roya, Vésubie and Tinée valleys where houses were washed away, while others are in danger, perched in above the void.

Many roads and bridges are still cut on Sunday, isolating many villages.

Since Saturday, the army and hundreds of rescuers have been deployed to search for the missing and bring medical supplies and water to residents by helicopter.

Nice

A bridge collapses in the Vésubie valley

Nice

Eight people, including two firefighters, wanted after major floods

  • Severe weather

  • Flood

  • Storm

  • Nice