DIONS: Four people died over the weekend when violent storms swept southern France, authorities said Monday, as rescue services continued their search for three missing persons, including two minors.
The first victim, a man, was discovered deceased in the village of Gagnieres in the Gard department on Sunday after his car was swept away by floods. Later that day, two women tragically lost their lives when their vehicle was engulfed by the strong currents of a river.
A fourth victim, identified as a man, was found on Monday and is presumed to be the father of a family of four who attempted to cross a flooded bridge in Dions, near Nimes. While his wife was rescued and hospitalized, their two children, aged four and 13, remain missing.
Authorities indicated that the driver of the vehicle ignored warning signs set up at the bridge and attempted to cross before barriers could be established by the police.
The search for the missing persons, conducted by approximately 110 firefighters and 120 gendarmes, is aided by helicopters, drones, search dogs, and divers.
In a separate incident in the Ardeche department, the manager of a hydroelectric power station has been missing since Saturday evening in Saint Martin de Valamas.
Fortunately, no casualties were reported when two houses collapsed due to a landslide in another Ardeche village.
Although seven departments were placed on an orange weather alert on Saturday, the situation improved by Monday, with the regions largely out of danger.
Southern France frequently experiences sudden and severe storms, with the most recent incident causing 22 fatalities in 2022 due to gale-force winds and flooding.
