Violent weather that struck southeastern France on Monday and Tuesday has left four people dead and one missing. The toll rose on Wednesday in Bouches-du-Rhône, where two women aged 86 and 26 were found drowned in a cellar in Lançon-Provence. An investigation has been opened to determine the circumstances of their deaths.
Three people have died in that department. On Tuesday, a 75-year-old man was found dead in Istres after being swept away by the water. The prefecture also reported one person injured, saying on Wednesday evening that the human toll had unfortunately worsened and now stood at three dead and one injured.
In Haute-Corse, another death was recorded on Tuesday in Ghisonaccia. A 4x4 was carried away by the Fium'orbu river around midday. One occupant managed to get out through a window, while the second was found lifeless. In the Var, rescuers were still searching on Wednesday for a person reported missing in Roquebrune-sur-Argens.
From Occitanie to Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, heavy rain on Monday and Tuesday caused major flooding. Several communes saw roads cut, vehicles shifted by the water and whole neighbourhoods submerged. In western Bouches-du-Rhône, the authorities said the water reached unprecedented levels.
Facing the damage, Jacques Witkowski, prefect of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, said his thoughts were with everyone in distress in the west of the department. He also said state services were mobilised at an exceptional level to deal with several problems.
The weather returned to normal on Wednesday in Bouches-du-Rhône, despite some gusts of wind. A weak rainy spell is nevertheless expected on Friday. The effects of the floods remain visible in Arles and Saint-Martin-de-Crau, where power cuts continue. In Saint-Martin-de-Crau, 250 people were taken in at accommodation centres.