Highlights: France: severe bad weather in the South-East, seven people missing. Seven people were reported missing this Sunday, March 10, while ten departments are placed on orange alert for the risk of flooding or wave-submersion. In the Gard, a father and his two children were swept away by floods while trying to cross a bridge over the Gardon in Dions, north of Nîmes. Two women also disappeared after alerting the emergency services in Goudargues, as well as a 62-year-old motorist near Gagnières.

The bad weather triggered by the passage of depression Monica continues to hit the south of the country, and more particularly the South-East. Seven people went missing this Sunday, March 10,…

France: severe bad weather in the South-East, seven people missing

The bad weather triggered by the passage of depression Monica continues to hit the south of the country, and more particularly the South-East.

Seven people were reported missing this Sunday, March 10, while ten departments are placed on orange alert for the risk of flooding or wave-submersion.

A bridge submerged by the flooded River Gard is photographed in Dions, March 10, 2024, following heavy rains in the south-east of France.

AFP - CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU

By: RFI with AFP

The South-East of

France

is taking on water.

After the

heavy rains

triggered by the passage of depression Monica, seven people went missing this Sunday, March 10.

“

We have seven missing, six in the Gard department, one in the Ardèche department

,” Gérald Darmanin told the press, speaking of “

extremely difficult and violent

” rainy episodes.

In the Gard, a father and his two children were swept away by floods while trying to cross a bridge over the Gardon in Dions, north of Nîmes.

The occupants of the vehicle were able to call for help after crossing the bridge, but their car was swept away and has not yet been found.

Two women also disappeared after alerting the emergency services in Goudargues, as well as a 62-year-old motorist near Gagnières and the manager of a hydroelectric power station in Saint-Martin de Valamas, in Ardèche.

Read alsoStorms, bad weather: the heavy cost of climatic hazards in France

Ten departments on orange vigilance

Helicopters, drones and nearly 300 firefighters and rescue personnel are mobilized to try to find the missing, whose vehicles have been located.

Thirty-five rescues saved lives, according to the Minister of the Interior.

Eight departments are still on orange flood alert on Sunday (Ardèche, Bouches-du-Rhône, Charente-Maritime, Gard, Gironde, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, Var, Yonne) and should remain so until Monday, Météo-France indicated in its 10 a.m. bulletin this Sunday.

Two departments, Landes and Pyrénées-Atlantiques, are on orange wave submergence alert.

France: severe bad weather in the South-East, seven people missing

France: severe bad weather in the South-East, seven people missing

Ten departments on orange vigilance

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