South France: storm demands three deaths
Three people died in a severe storm in the south of France at the beginning of the week. Two people were found in Le Lavandou, which is located on the Mediterranean coast between Toulon and Saint-Tropez, said the local prefecture. Another person was found dead in the somewhat further north of Vidauban. A good 300 firefighters are on duty.
Le Lavandou and other places in the southeastern department of Var had previously been hit by thunderstorms and heavy rain. Several streets were blocked due to floods. The rivers Môle and Giscle threatened to cross. Hundreds of households were cut off from electricity. Like many areas on the French Mediterranean coast and on the Atlantic in summer, the VAR department is a popular holiday region.
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Already on Monday evening, parts of Southwest France had also been hit by storms. Due to floods, people had been evacuated from a train that stopped at Tonneins in the late evening, as French media reported. On the route between Bordeaux and Toulouse, train traffic was partly interrupted the day after.
A TGV high-speed train between Toulouse and Bordeaux, which must be stopped on the tracks, since the gravel has collapsed under the rails after heavy rainfall. The train had to stop on the open route overnight, and the 507 passengers were brought to a town hall by bus. Photo: Christophe Archhambault/AFP/dpa
